The Magical Life of a Mortal Goddess (Original Version)
by Rebelgirl01
Summary: Ari was anything but a normal little girl. She knew this for as long as she could remember. But just before her 11th birthday weird took on a whole new meaning. From discovering a whole new magical world to discovering that the ancient gods and goddesses are still alive. Ari is going to have to try and learn to live in three worlds and hopefully live to see her 18th birthday.
1. Prologue

**After much thought, and a conversation with amerdism, I have decided to go ahead a repost the original version of this story. Please note though, this version** _ **is not**_ **being updated beyond the original chapters that I had.**

 **Real life has been both a blessing and curse, graduate school a pain and certain characters changing the direction of the story every time I turn around. Please note, the new version will probably be much different in some aspects (hopefully, more realistic). Anyways enjoy.**

 **I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.**

 **xXx**

 **Prologue**

As Poseidon crept towards his destination, he stuck to the shadows as much as possible. He didn't want to be caught, especially not by another Olympian. He was going to the last place anybody would ever expect him to go, the last place anyone would look for him. He was on his way to the house of his arch-rival, Athena. He approached the door that was his destination and knocked twice. Three seconds later, an arm threw open the door and yanked him inside.

"You weren't followed were you?" Athena interrogated as soon as she had re-locked the door, "I don't want anybody to know about what has occurred."

"You know, for a goddess of wisdom getting into this mess in the first place was not very smart," snapped Poseidon. He truly was not in the mood for her attitude today.

"Don't you think I realize that? Just answer the question, kelp-head, so we can get on with what needs to be done," retorted Athena.

"No, I wasn't followed. Amphitrite believes that I'm somewhere in the Pacific Ocean solving an issue for a family of dolphins - which I do need to do soon," responded Poseidon.

"Well then. Let's get this over with," Athena sighed.

She really didn't want to do this, but it was the only option available if she and Poseidon planned on staying out of serious trouble. Never did she dream that she would make a mistake such as this. She, Athena, had broken her oath to forever be a maiden. Not only had she broken it, but she had broken it with the person that she despised most on this planet. Now, a few months later, they were hiding the last traces of evidence of their crime.

She didn't remember exactly how it had happened. She and Poseidon both remembered going to her house to work on some plan or another for the council, probably the one for better housing in the southern part of Olympus. Anyway, they were about an hour into their arguing… ummm… planning and on something around their fifth round of drinks of some very delicious nectar when things become blurry. The next thing either of them remembered was waking up in bed together and Athena pushing a disgruntled Poseidon out the door swearing the whole while that he had better keep his big mouth shut. Unfortunately, for them both, a couple days later she began exhibiting the symptoms, and after a store bought test, it was confirmed, Athena, goddess of wisdom, was pregnant by Poseidon, god of the sea.

Nine months later, nine long months of hiding, lying, and avoiding, their daughter had made her appearance. They named her Ari. She was the first full goddess born in centuries, and her birth should have led to an enormous celebration. Instead, her parents were trying to figure out how to keep her a secret. After many long hours of arguing, they had agreed on a plan.

Both knew of Hecate's blessed ones who had formed their own sort of secret society. The gods were not allowed to interfere in it because it was Hecate's "pet project." Their daughter would be safe among these people and would not be found by their family.

"When is Hecate going to arrive?" Poseidon asked for the twelfth time.

"She'll arrive when she arrives, and if you ask again, I'm going to gut you like the fish you are!" Athena snapped in response.

They both wanted to get the painful part over. Even if neither would admit it, they had come to love the little girl in the three days they'd spent with her since her birth. Suddenly, there was a bright light and Hecate, goddess of magic, stood in the library of Athena.

"What is it that you have summoned me for?" Hecate inquired almost immediately after taking in her surroundings.

"We need your assistance with a problem," Athena informed the minor goddess.

Hecate nodded and moved to sit on one of the arm chairs in the library.

"And, what problem would that be? I can't help you if I don't know what it is that I am helping with," pushed Hecate.

To be honest, she already had a feeling about what had happened. Most of the minor gods and goddesses did. While the two had succeeded in avoiding the Olympians, they hadn't put as much of an effort into avoiding the minors. The minors had all secretly celebrated the birth and hoped to help the child as she grew.

"Well you see…" Poseidon began telling their story with Athena adding details that Poseidon forgot or neglected to bring up.

"I see. Well, I can help you, and I know of just the family that little Ari can stay with. The wife just found out that she's incapable of having kids, and they are looking to adopt. However, be warned - for about the past ten years there has been chaos among my people. I am hoping that they will resolve it soon on their own, but if not, I will intervene," Hecate warned the two Olympians.

"Are you sure it will end soon?" questioned a worried Poseidon. He didn't want to send his daughter into unknown danger. If it was between that and his family, he would risk his family finding out. Unknown to him, Athena was thinking along the same lines.

"The issue is being taken care of. Now, where is the little one?" Hecate assured the parents with a small smile.

"She's in my room asleep. It is, after all, after eleven at night," replied Athena.

"Let's get this done. Athena, go get her. The sooner this is over the better," Poseidon directed. If he was honest with himself, he just didn't want to have to hold off goodbye any longer than necessary.

Athena left the room and came back a minute later with a baby girl bundled in a soft pink blanket. She lifted the corner of the blanket to reveal a rosy cheeked baby with black hair and stormy grey eyes.

"You two created a wonderful child. This is your last chance: are you sure you want to give her up?" questioned Hecate.

"To be honest, I would love nothing more than to raise her as she should be. However, we have both agreed to this. Now is not the time for a secret this big to be revealed," responded Poseidon with deep sadness in his eyes.

Athena nodded her agreement. They had been discussing this since they had found out Athena was pregnant. Neither liked the idea, but it was what they both thought was for the best.

Hecate sighed before rising and standing before the two Olympians.

"Very well. Your daughter is a full goddess, and that is her birthright. I will dampen her powers so that she is no more powerful than a strong demigod. By doing this, she will fall under the rules of no direct interference until she discovers who you are and who she is. Little Ari will need to grow up as any normal demigod would until that time."

"We can still watch over her until then?" Athena asked for clarification.

Hecate nodded, "Of course. Now, she will have to discover for herself who you are and who she is. Her powers will, however, be released upon her 18th birthday," She paused to give both a stern expression before continuing. "You had better confront her by then or there will be serious issues."

After checking to make sure that they understood her warning, she grabbed Ari, covered her eyes and flashed to the home of the couple that would become Ari's adoptive parents. She arrived at the cottage in Godric's Hollow and walked swiftly towards the door. Hecate made sure on her way to the door that she was properly disguised. She knocked on the door and was answered a few seconds later.

"Yes, how can I help you?" A woman with long red hair and bright green eyes asked.

"Yes, I am from the hospital and have come to inform you that a child was left at the hospital after the parents decided that they could not take care of her. You left your name to be considered, and we were wondering if you would like to care for the little girl."

"Oh! Come in," the woman invited with eyes that were much brighter than they had been just seconds before and moved aside for Hecate to come inside. "James, get in here now!"

"What Lily-flower? Has Padfoot come with news from the Order?" a man with black hair and hazel eyes questioned as he entered the room.

"No. Apparently a couple put their little girl up for adoption, and we have been chosen to take her in. Isn't this exciting?!" Lily exclaimed before turning back to Hecate. "Can I hold her?"

Hecate handed Ari to Lily and leaned back on the couch waiting for the questions that were sure to come. She could tell immediately that Lily was in love, and if the way that James was hovering was any indication, the child would be well cared for until she was old enough.

"Is this true… ummm?" James inquired realizing he doesn't know the lady's name.

"Sorry, my name is Melanie. I work at the hospital. This little angel's name is Ari," responded Hecate.

"Well, thank you very much for choosing us. We were devastated when we discovered that Lily was unable to have kids. That is why we signed up at the hospital," James thanked.

"Does this mean that you will adopt her?" Hecate asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Of course, when do we fill out the paperwork?" asked Lily holding Ari and already falling in love with the little girl in her arms.

"There is no reason to worry about that. It has all already been taken care of," Hecate smirked. It was one of the perks of being a goddess, she could make documents that never existed before appear out of nowhere completely signed and authenticated.

"Well then, thank you again. We promise to take care of her," James said, with Lily nodding in the background.

With that, James showed Hecate to the door, and Hecate flashed herself, once she was around the corner, back to her house on Mt. Olympus. She knew that this would not end without minor tragedies, but she hoped it would all work out in little Ari's favour. Little did Hecate know that in just over a year, little Ari Potter would lose her new family to a mad man who was trying to take over the wizarding world. She would be taken by an aged wizard to her aunt and uncle's to be raised. Her childhood would not be peaceful or cheerful, but it would definitely be eventful.

 **xXx**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: I do NOT own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and all related Characters. That wonderful right goes to J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan respectively. Besides if I did I would not be having problems with student loans.**

 **Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 1**

It was eleven years after the night that Hecate took Ari from Athena and Poseidon and a little under ten years since she was left on the doorstep of her aunt and uncle. Ari Potter knew nothing of who she was and was ignorant of both her birth and adoptive parents. At this point in time, she was asleep, dreaming about 10 foot tall giants, but that would not last long. At that moment, Aunt Petunia approached her door and pounded on it.

"Get up now! It's Dudley's birthday, and I want everything to be perfect!" Aunt Petunia screeched at the top of her lungs.

Ari's eyes snapped open, knowing what the consequences would be if she did not get up. As she rolled over to grab her spider covered socks, she made sure to be careful of her bruised ribs. Her uncle had given her one of his "lessons" last night, and she was still extremely tender. This one had been about how she should not act like a freak, and it was one of Uncle Vernon's favorites.

She cringed at the sight of the creepy crawlies trying to make themselves at home in her sock; however, she managed to hold in her screams. That was another lesson that had been drilled into her from a young age, "freaks aren't meant to be seen or heard." As she stood up, she hit her head on the low ceiling. Honestly - her room was too small for her; however, what does one expect when that room is a cupboard under the stairs?

There were a total of four rooms in the Dursley's cookie cutter house in Surrey. The master bedroom - which belonged to her aunt and uncle, the guest room - which was most often frequented by Aunt Marge, and two bedrooms- both of which belonged to her cousin Dudley. She never understood why Dudley needed two rooms, but he said he did, so he was given them.

Ari quickly finished getting ready so not to incur the wrath of either her aunt or her uncle. After making sure that her library books were hidden under the loose floorboard in her cupboard, she made her way to the kitchen where the table was already buried under approximately 36 presents. She knew there were at least that many because Dudley never received less than 30. She made her way over to the stove and began cooking the breakfast that she would not receive any of.

"You better not burn a single piece of bacon. I want everything to be perfect for Dudley's special day, and you will not ruin it," ordered Aunt Petunia while she ran around trying to organize the presents and pulling a few more out of random places.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," muttered Ari moving over to the stove and beginning the task with practiced ease. Honestly, it was the same every year, so she learned not to expect anything different. In a few hours, the Dursleys would be on their way to the zoo, and she would be at Mrs. Figg's.

Mrs. Figg was the crazy cat woman of the neighborhood. Whenever the Dursleys went anywhere that even hinted at being fun, Ari was left with her. While there, Ari was forced to look at about five albums filled with pictures of every cat Mrs. Figg had ever owned. Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty were her favorites. Mrs. Figg creeped Ari out. Sometimes, she would be going on and on about all of her cats. Other times, she would look at Ari like she knew some huge secret that Ari should want to know. One time, Ari had asked Mrs. Figg why she looked at her like that.

Mrs. Figg only responded by saying, "You will find out soon enough child." Then, she went back to cooing over her cats.

At that moment, Uncle Vernon and Dudley stormed into the room. At first glance, one would think Ari was raised by animals. Aunt Petunia resembled something between a horse and a giraffe with her facial features and long neck. Uncle Vernon had a mustache that resembled the whiskers of a walrus and the weight to compete with one. Dudley looked like a pig in a blonde wig, contrary to what Aunt Petunia insisted.

Dudley began opening his presents just as Ari served up breakfast, being careful not to spill anything. He had already ripped into a slingshot, a video camera, a plasma screen TV with a Blu-ray player and a remote controlled car when he made a comment that Ari knew would come eventually.

"There are fewer here than there were last year," Dudley complained while opening a box that contained around 30 new movies.

"Yes, but some of them are bigger than last year," Aunt Petunia responded, trying to delay the tantrum. Ari just wished that Aunt Petunia had not even bothered. Most of the time, she just made it worse.

"I DON'T CARE HOW BIG THEY ARE! IT'S STILL LESS THAN LAST YEAR!" Dudley screamed at the top of his lungs throwing his new slingshot into Aunt Petunia's china cabinet.

"You still have to receive your presents from Piers, and then, you get the traditional three presents on your birthday trip," Aunt Petunia tried to appease her son after cringing at the sound of her fine china being broken. It had been her grandmother's.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about those," Dudley answered as he went back to ripping into his presents.

The phone rang, and Aunt Petunia went to go and answer it. When she came back, she gave Ari a look that said, 'this is all your fault.' Ari subtly began to inch out of the room deciding now was a good time to get started on her other chores. She knew that look did not mean anything good for her.

"The girl has done it _again_ , Vernon. Mrs. Figg can't take her. Something about having a meeting with a headmaster of some school that her nephew is going to in Scotland. So, what are we going to do?" complained Aunt Petunia.

Vernon shot Ari a nasty look that made Ari freeze in the doorway in fear for her backside.

"We could call Marge," offered Vernon. Ari cringed. Aunt Marge was just as bad as Uncle Vernon when it came to "lessons."

"Nonsense, Vernon, you know that it is that time of year that she hates to leave her precious dogs," responded Petunia. Ari, for once, was grateful to her aunt.

"What about locking her in the basement? Nobody will know. It will keep her out of the way and prevent the house from being blown up… again," Uncle Vernon questioned with a gleam in his eyes that Ari knew meant trouble.

Ari remembered the last time that she had been left in the basement. It had been last Christmas. The Dursleys had gone to France and left her in the basement with a few rations of food. Her uncle had wanted to make sure that she didn't revert back to her "freakish ways" while he was gone, so he had chained her left ankle to the wall. It gave her enough length to reach the basement toilet and the rations, but not enough that she could get up the stairs and get out. He then gave her a quick lesson and left.

Their one week trip had turned into one month, and Ari had run out of food. Being chained to the wall, she did the only thing she could do, she screamed for help. She didn't remember how it happened, but one moment she was screaming for help and the next her chain had broken and the door to the basement exploded open. Of course, the Dursleys arrived home ten minutes later.

"We can't, Vernon. The neighbors still swear they heard the screams from the last time. We could leave her in the car," Aunt Petunia suggested.

"NO, NO, NO! She will _not_ be staying in my new car," Uncle Vernon put down immediately.

'You could just leave me home. I won't blow up the house and would stay in my room,' Ari thought to herself.

Uncle Vernon seemed to read her mind though she knew that that was impossible.

"She isn't staying here. I won't have us going to the zoo just to come home to find all the valuables missing and the house in ruins!" snarled Uncle Vernon, "We will just have to take the freak with us."

Ari just nodded at the decision and made a hasty retreat. Best to get the chores done _before_ they left. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. The decision had been made not a moment too soon because at that moment, the doorbell rang, and when Ari opened up the door, there standing on the threshold was Piers Polkiss, Dudley's best friend. Dudley was the leader of the local boys' gang. Piers was the one who would hold people while Dudley punched, kicked and otherwise beat the living daylights out of them. On several occasions, Piers had tried to kiss Ari when Dudley was done. While Ari was the gang's favorite target, they often could not catch her.

She was extremely skinny and small for her age. She had long black hair and stormy grey eyes. Overall, in her own opinion she looked pretty, if not normal. The only unique thing about her was the scar upon her forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt. She had one time asked where it came from and Aunt Petunia had told her it came from the car crash her parents died in and not to ask questions.

Not asking questions was one of the ten rules to having a semi-peaceful life in the Dursley house. Among the others were do chores on time, don't speak or be seen unless called upon, don't do better than Dudley in school and don't make a sound during Uncle Vernon's 'lessons.'

Soon after Piers arrived, they all loaded into the car to go to the zoo and the new aquarium opening. Before she loaded into her seat in the back of the car, Uncle Vernon pulled her aside.

"Now, I don't want any funny business from you today, girl. If any of your freakishness happens today, you will be in your cupboard from now until New Years, no meals for a week, and I will have to schedule another two or three lessons this week," Uncle Vernon threatened in a low whisper so that only Ari could hear.

Ari's eyes widened in fear as she thought about that threat. That would be her longest punishment to date. Not to mention it would be next to impossible to do her chores which would lead to more punishments. It was a never ending cycle. Ari resisted the urge to sigh as she realized that her uncle was waiting for a response.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Ari answered as meekly as possible. She really didn't want another lesson. The bad thing was weird things just happened around her.

One time, while she was cooking dinner, she had tripped on her way to the table. This of course had to happen on the night of one of Uncle Vernon's big business dinners. Anyway, she tripped, and the food went flying through the air. Just as it was about to hit the floor, the food froze, mid-air. Ari quickly gathered up the food and placed it back on the plates. Unfortunately the damage was already done. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had been coming in to order her to hurry up and had seen the entire incident. After their guests had left, Uncle Vernon had taken Ari down to the basement and given her a lesson. She had ended up with three cracked ribs, a busted lip, and innumerable scars upon her back. She was also grounded for a week, though she was still given meager meals.

Another time, Aunt Petunia had given her a brown dress with orange puff balls. As Aunt Petunia tried to shove the dress over Ari's head, with Ari trying not to scream and run away, it shrunk. Believing that it must have shrunk in the wash, Ari was not punished. Aunt Petunia instead gave her a dress that was white with lavender ribbons. Aunt Petunia had even admitted herself that she did not like that brown dress, but there was no point in wasting clothing.

Aunt Petunia believed that Ari should dress like a girl but that she was not worth the money to go and buy new clothes. So, at the beginning of every season, Aunt Petunia would go through her wardrobe and find what she didn't want anymore, didn't wear anymore, or didn't fit into anymore and it would go to Ari. Doing this, Ari was spared Dudley's hand-me-downs which would have been like a circus tent on her.

While she was spared that time, she was punished thoroughly for causing Dudley to go flying. She had been running from his gang, and they were actually going to catch her. Dudley went to grab her, she screamed, and he went flying. There was no talking herself out of that one. Not even Ari could come with an excuse for what happened.

The only thing that the Dursleys didn't punish her anymore for was doing better than Dudley in school. After their first report cards, Uncle Vernon had laid into Ari about how a freak wasn't allowed to make his son look like an idiot. So, she had started _helping_ Dudley with his homework and slipping on hers. By doing this, she made sure Dudley pulled a mid-C, and she pulled just below him. There was no helping the fact that she had to flunk her tests, but she always wrote the correct answers on a separate piece of paper and checked them later. She almost always got them right. She would be pulling straight A's if it wasn't for the Dursleys.

In any case, she was determined that nothing would happen on this trip. They were on their way to the zoo and Uncle Vernon was ranting about all the things he hated: Ari, people at work, Ari, the bank, Ari, the government, Ari, motorcycles, Ari, Mr. or Mrs. Such and such, and Ari. On this particular trips it was fantasy creatures.

"Absolute nonsense that has no business in the minds of normal people. I mean come on pixie dust, magic, flying horses, giants, and leprechauns! Complete and utter rubbish," Uncle Vernon ranted.

"We are reading a book with giants in it at school," Ari stated trying to be normal for her uncle. She knew better than to mention her dreams; however, a book at school was perfectly normal.

"GIANTS DON'T EXIST!" roared Uncle Vernon as he turned around to yell at Ari, the car swerving around in its lane.

"I know they don't, and I never said that they did," muttered Ari who wished she had just stayed quiet.

It was Saturday so, of course, the zoo was packed. Not to mention it was also the grand opening of the aquarium exhibit. They stopped at the entrance for Uncle Vernon to buy Piers and Dudley some large chocolate ice creams with nuts, whipped cream, and hot fudge sauce. Because the lady noticed Ari standing separate but near the Dursleys, he also bought Ari a cheap lemon ice pop. Ari loved it.

They went to see the warthogs which Ari thought looked like Dudley. The only thing Dudley was missing was a pig's tail. They went to the bird house where the owls, who the guide said were probably asleep, all flocked down to see Ari. It was an open house, so the birds could fly around. The guide was puzzled as to the strange behavior of the owls. They would not leave her until she looked at them when she reached the exit and told them to stay. Miraculously, they flew back to their branches and remained there. But it almost seemed as though they were very reluctant to do this.

After lunch, they went to the new aquarium exhibit, and Ari could have sworn she was hearing voices. Whether it was by the sharks, the tropical fish or the creatures found in the deepest part of the oceans, she kept hearing the voices, and they all said a variation of the same thing.

 _"The Princess is here!"_

 _"Hi, sea princess."_

 _"Oh, I hope she likes us."_

 _"What is she doing with gorilla-boy, walrus-man, and horseface?"_

Every time, she would look around expecting to see some rich, finely dressed princess enter the room; every time there was nobody except normal everyday people and herself. She eventually gave up trying to figure out where the voices were coming from. All in all the day was going fine, and Ari was having a wonderful time. She should have known that it would not last.

Their final stop of the day was at the reptile house. It was not the last stop by choice, they had still planned on going to see the dolphin show, and of course, there was still the wild cat exhibit. They entered the reptile house, and almost immediately, Dudley and Piers ran up to the largest snake in the room. The snake was asleep, but that didn't stop Dudley from making a nuisance of himself. He began pounding on the glass.

"Make him move, dad! I want to see him kill something," Dudley ordered Uncle Vernon while giving Ari a meaningful look.

Uncle Vernon rapped on the glass. Nothing happened.

"Do it again!" ordered Dudley again.

Uncle Vernon repeated his action.

"Do it…" Dudley began

"He's asleep!" Ari muttered. Of course, Uncle Vernon heard her anyways and sent her a glare. She swiftly took a step back. However, she was amazingly saved by Dudley.

"He's boring," complained Dudley, and he and Piers wandered off to see something else.

Uncle Vernon gave Ari once last glare before going after them. Ari took a look at the snake and muttered, "Sorry about him. He doesn't know what it feels like to be trapped in a cage. Having people order you around like you have nothing to do in your life except what they say."

The snake nodded his head like he understood. Ari smiled believing she had found a kindred spirit.

"At least you can understand me," whispered Ari. She didn't want to get caught doing something freakish. The snake nodded, and Ari could have sworn it smiled.

"My name is Ari. So, how long have you been in the cage for? I've been in mine since I was one," Ari questioned.

The snake pointed its tail to the sign next to the enclosure.

"Oh, that's me too. I have never known anything except captivity either. At least you probably get taken care of," Ari admitted.

"MOM, DAD YOU GOTTA COME SEE WHAT THE SNAKE IS DOING!" shouted Dudley, "Move you!"

Ari didn't see him coming, and he pushed her to the concrete floor. She was pretty sure her bruised ribs were now at least cracked. Ari wasn't sure what happened next - all she knew was that she felt her anger bubble up inside her and then felt it release itself. Dudley and Piers, who were leaning against the glass, fell into the enclosure. The snake snapped at them as he slithered his way past the vanished glass.

 _"Thank you Ari! Freedom, here I come! Good luck getting yours."_

"No problem," Ari responded.

Unfortunately, it would be a problem. Once they were released from the enclosure, Dudley and Piers started coming up with stories about what had happened. By the time they returned to Privet Drive, the snake had apparently tried to eat them while they fought him off with a stick. Then Piers said something that was going to create many issues for Ari in the future.

"Ari was talking to it. Weren't you, Ari?" inquired Piers, who didn't know the damage he had just caused.

After Piers had left, Uncle Vernon rounded on Ari. He grabbed her by the shoulder dragged her to her cupboard and threw her in.

"I warned you, girl. You are not coming out for a month and no meals for a week," Uncle Vernon sentenced her, "I will be back later to give you your first extra lesson."

With that said, Ari was left in the darkness alone nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company.

'Stupid Piers couldn't keep his stupid mouth shut,' Ari thought to herself as she listened to the sounds of the house. 'I _had_ to talk to the snake. I _had_ try and find somebody that understood me!'

While waiting for her uncle, her thoughts stayed on the snake, but they turned from how he had been like her to how she had understood it. She then thought back to the aquarium and realized with a start that the voices had been the fish themselves. Great! She really was a freak.

It was around 10 when Uncle Vernon came back and dragged her to the basement for her lesson. Around 11:30, she was locked back in her cupboard with even more bruises. She listened carefully for her uncle's footsteps to go up the stairs. Once he was up there, he wouldn't come back down until morning. She would then sneak out to get a bit of food, water and some bandages.

This was the life that Ari had grown accustomed to. She had long since given up hope that somebody would come a rescue her. There was no long lost relative that would discover her and make the Dursleys pay for what they had done to her. While she did meet the occasional person on the street who seemed to know her, nothing ever came of these encounters and the people always vanished before she could get a closer look. No, Ari was always on her own and nobody seemed to care.

She finally heard Uncle Vernon's footsteps thundering up the stairs, raining down spiders upon her head. She shuddered, but didn't make a sound. She hated spiders, hated them with a passion. They seemed to always be out to get her. There wasn't a morning that went by that she didn't wake up with at least one new spider bite. Luckily, the book she had checked out from the library told her that the spiders in her cupboard weren't poisonous. If she had to be honest, she didn't just hate them, they scared her something stiff. There was just something about them that made her skin crawl. However, there was nothing she could do about them.

She listened for a moment to make sure that he wasn't coming back down. Then, she quietly grabbed her wire hanger, stuck it out the grate on the door and pulled back the lock. She crept her way to the kitchen, making sure not to run into any chairs, tables, or other pieces of furniture. She made her way to the fridge and took out one piece of cheese, and an apple. After that, Ari went to the bread box and added a slice of bread from the middle of the loaf to her bounty. Finally, she snuck over to the first aid cabinet and grabbed some of the older bandages in the back.

She had a feeling that Aunt Petunia knew she snuck out and kept these here just for her. While her aunt held no love for her, she also did not believe in Ari bleeding all over her clean floor. She didn't want the neighbors to spread rumors. So, the old bandages were left in the back of the cabinet. Ari then snuck back to her cupboard with her bounty, re-locked the door with the wire hanger and began eating and treating the wounds she could reach. Oh well, she thought, it was only for the next month, unless she got into more trouble. Which was almost certainly inevitable.

 **xXx**


	3. Chapter 2

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 2**

The punishment that Ari endured after the zoo incident was by far the harshest one yet in her almost ten years with the Dursleys. By the time that Uncle Vernon believed that she had earned her freedom, summer break was well under way, Ari had once again barely passed, and there was only a week left before she turned eleven. She didn't expect much - she had learned long ago not to make a big deal about her birthday. It only led to misery and disappointment.

She woke up on the 23rd of July basking in the feeling that was freedom. She walked into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast for the Dursleys. Eggs, bacon, toast, tea, coffee, jam and a bowl of fruit were the traditional choices in this household. Ari knew better than to diverge from the norm unless told otherwise to do so.

She was just turning off the stove and serving the bacon when the Dursleys made their way into the kitchen. Ari finished placing the food on the table silently and then stood off to the side. If she was quiet and did as she told, she might receive breakfast this morning. Breakfast was going normally with the normal conversations about everyday things for a normal family when the mail arrived.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go get the mail, girl," ordered Uncle Vernon.

"Yes, sir," Ari replied as she hurried off to do what she was told. She was still hoping to receive a breakfast, no matter how small.

Ari arrived at the door and scooped up the mail. She quickly shuffled through it to see what there was. There was an acceptance letter for Dudley to Uncle Vernon's alma mater, Smeltings. There was also a letter from Aunt Marge to Uncle Vernon.

'Hopefully she isn't coming to visit us,' Ari hoped to herself - though it was more like begging.

Aunt Marge could be just as bad, if not sometimes worse, than Uncle Vernon. And, her dog, Ripper, was a right pain in the rear end.

There were then two more letters in the pile. One was addressed to Aunt Petunia from the neighborhood council, and the final one was addressed to Ari. Ari stared at the address, hardly daring to believe her eyes. But, there it was in scarlet red ink:

 **Miss A. Potter**

 **The Cupboard under the Stairs**

 **4 Privet rive**

 **Little Whinging**

 **Surrey**

Thinking quickly, Ari shoved the letter into the back pocket of the old jeans she was wearing. She knew that if she was caught with the letter, she would not be allowed to keep it - let alone read it. She also knew that she didn't have time to take it back to her cupboard before going to the kitchen. If she took too long, Uncle Vernon would come out to check what was going on, and she would be caught anyways.

Ari gathered up the rest of the letters and made her way back into the kitchen. She placed the mail in front of Uncle Vernon and went back to her corner of the kitchen.

"Well now, what do have we here? Dudley, this one is for you, my boy. Well, hurry up and tell us what it says," Uncle Vernon urged with a huge grin on his face.

Dudley quickly opened his letter, tried to read the first line, and then gave up and handed the letter to his father.

"Congratulations, my boy. You are going to my old school starting in the fall. Petunia, it is time to go shopping for uniforms for Dudley - and while we are at it, we need to dye some of your old things for _her_ ," Uncle Vernon declared with a short motion towards Ari with his hand.

"Yes, Vernon. I am so happy my little Dudley-kins is going to one of the best private schools possible," Aunt Petunia said, tearing up.

"Well, girl, you have done well enough. Grab a piece of bread and get out," ordered Uncle Vernon.

"Yes, sir," Ari answered. She practically ran to the bread box, and she was on her way out the door when Dudley decided to have one of his few observant moments.

"Dad, Ari has something in her pocket," Dudley tattled while smirking at the horror struck look on Ari's face.

"Bring it here, girl! Now!" Uncle Vernon bellowed.

Ari knew better than to argue and handed Uncle Vernon the letter. Uncle Vernon took a look at the address and then the seal on the back. His face changed colors faster than Ari had ever seen - it went from its normal blotchy pink to red, then purple, then green, then grey and finally a white.

'Oh great, now I've done it,' Ari thought.

"I want you both out of here - now," Uncle Vernon declared.

"But, I'm not done eating," whined Dudley.

"Take it upstairs. Just get out," Uncle Vernon ordered, starting to turn purple.

"Can I have my letter first?" Ari questioned and then immediately regretted.

Uncle Vernon grabbed both Ari and Dudley by the backs of their shirts and threw them into the hallway. Dudley made his way upstairs with his plate of food while Ari decided to eavesdrop at the door.

"What do we do, Vernon? How do they know where the girl is sleeping?" questioned Petunia.

"They are most likely watching the house. You know all those weird people the girl keeps running into. She has most likely lied to one of them about how we treat her," declared Uncle Vernon.

"Most likely, but what are we going to do?" repeated Petunia.

"We ignore the letters. If they get no reply, they will eventually give up," replied Uncle Vernon.

"Do you honestly think that will work?" Aunt Petunia questioned as though she didn't believe that would work for an instant.

"It had better. I will not stand to have one of _them_ in my house. We swore when we took her in that we would stamp all of that nonsense out of her. That we would make her into a normal model citizen, and I plan on doing just that. I mean you saw the effect that my last lesson had on her. The girl has finally learned not to question me," Uncle Vernon responded.

Ari listened for a few more minutes and then crept her way to her cupboard. She thought about what she had heard. He uncle and aunt were keeping secrets from her. Apparently, she was supposed to grow up into something that they did not like. More than likely it had something to do with her parents.

She could not really think of anything that her aunt and uncle hated - except herself of course. The only thing that they had really been strict about as she grew up was that Dudley was to always come first in everything and there was to be absolutely no mention of anything even remotely resembling magic. Magic was not real. That was among the first things she had been given a lesson about.

She had learned that lesson when she was five and had asked if she could be a witch for Halloween. Uncle Vernon had not been very happy with her.

Ari decided that it would be a good idea to get started on her chores. She grabbed the old gardening gloves that Aunt Petunia had only given her after she had needed stitches when she was five from doing the yard work. She stayed away from the Dursleys for the rest of the day by staying out in the garden and doing the yard work. She would do the inside chores after dinner.

That evening, before dinner but after her outdoor chores had been completed, Uncle Vernon visited Ari in her cupboard for the first time since her last lesson. He almost caught her with her library book out. At first, she was wondering what she had done, but then Uncle Vernon broke her from her thoughts.

"Your Aunt and I have noticed that you have become a bit too big for the cupboard. You are to move your stuff to Dudley's second room. Now!" Uncle Vernon ordered her.

'I was too big for it when you first placed me in here,' Ari thought to herself; however, she knew better than to voice _that_ statement.

"Why the sudden change?" Ari questioned instead. She knew it was dangerous, but she couldn't resist. It wasn't like they had ever done anything that nice for her before.

"Because, I said so. And, don't ask questions!" Uncle Vernon snapped before storming away leaving Ari to her new task.

"More like it has to do with that letter and the way that it was addressed to me," muttered Ari as she moved to do as she was told.

It took only one trip for Ari to move her stuff upstairs. She then promptly began to pick up all the broken toys and toss them into the boxes along one wall. Dudley's junk might still be in this room but that did not mean that she had to be tripping on it. She made sure to get rid of the spiders and spider webs that were manifesting in the corners of the room. When she was in the cupboard, spiders were something that she had to deal with. While she had got used to them, that did not mean that she in any way liked them. There had just been no use complaining or freaking out because she would have got into trouble. However, now that she was in an actual room, she wasn't putting up with any of those eight legged creepy crawlies. After living with Dudley for almost ten years, she had somewhat of a cleaning fetish. While she was not as obsessed as Aunt Petunia, she still believed that everything should have its proper place.

Ari came to a stack of books that were the only items in the room not damaged and decided to keep them on the shelf above her bed. The books included classics such as _Oliver Twist_ , _Tale of Two Cities_ and _Beowulf_ as well as more fantasy stories such as the _Lord of the Rings_ and _the Chronicles of Narnia_. All in all, while she was happy to have an actual room, she still wanted that letter.

Ari spent the rest of her evening switching between doing chores for the Dursleys and tidying her bedroom. Dinner that night was roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans. Of course, Ari's dinner was two plain pieces of toast and one slice of moldy cheese. After doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen up to Aunt Petunia's standards, she returned to her room ready to crash on the lumpy mattress.

It was about two in the morning when Ari heard an incessant knocking at her window. Wait a minute - she was on the second floor! How was that possible? Now wide awake, Ari climbed out of bed and crept over to the window, making sure not to make the floorboards creak. She pulled back the curtains just as the knocking started up again. She could not believe what she saw. There, at the window, was probably the most beautiful creature that she had ever seen.

Staring back at Ari with determined amber eyes was a snowy owl. Clutched in the owl's talons were two letters. Ari quickly moved to open the window, and once it was open wide enough, it swooped in and landed majestically and gracefully on the footboard of the bed. Ari hurried over and retrieved the letters. There were two letters as she had noted before; however, they seemed to be from two different people. The first letter was one that was similar to this morning's, and it was addressed to:

 **Miss A. Potter**

 **The Smallest Bedroom**

 **4 Privet Drive**

 **Little Whinging**

 **Surrey**

'Well,' Ari thought as she stared at the letter. 'I am most definitely not letting Uncle Vernon get this one.'

 _"I would open the other one first m'lady."_

"Woah, who said that?" Ari looked around for the source of the voice but could find none.

 _"I did, but that is not important. You need to read both those letters. However, read the unofficial one first."_

Ari looked over at the owl and then a thought popped into her head.

"Are you the one that is talking to me?" Ari questioned, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

 _"Yes, m'lady"_

"Ok, it's the snake all over again," muttered Ari. She was beginning to wonder why it was that she seemed to be able to talk to almost all of the animals that she ran into. However, she decided to take the owl's advice first and ask questions later.

With that, she quickly took a look at the second letter. The handwriting on this one was different, almost as though it was a personal letter. There was no address on this one - just her name written in scrawly handwriting.

Ari decided that she should probably listen to the voice and open this one first, and it turned out that it was the correct decision.

 **Miss Potter,**

 **You will be ready to be picked up at precisely nine a.m. on July 31st. Due to the fact that you seem incompetent enough to have not responded to your first letter, I have taken the liberty of mailing you a duplicate. Do not lose it. I will not send a third. Now, read over this letter and its contents carefully, and I will pick you up at the above mentioned time. I will answer any questions you have that I deem necessary to answer at that time, and we will retrieve your supplies.**

 **Professor S. Snape**

There was one more line, but the handwriting was different: more elegant and smooth than the first style.

 **PS. You may keep the owl, but be careful; she bites.**

"Well, that's straightforward enough," whispered Ari as she began to open the letter that was identical to the one from this morning. "Question is though, who's Professor Snape and what does he mean by 'we will retrieve your supplies?' What do I need supplies for?"

 _"He is an angry man that can't seem to be polite to anybody that he meets. I only nibbled on his finger a couple of times to get him to hurry up. He has a horrible disposition."_

"Oh, thank you. Umm, when you say angry, how so? Violent? Yelling?," said Ari, slightly amused and slightly worried.

The owl tilted its head as though trying to figure out why the girl would be asking this sort of question. Eventually though, it gave an answer.

" _He has a permanent scowl on his face. He doesn't seem to like anybody, and he is constantly sneering. Now, you really do need to open the other letter. It will explain the supplies."_

Ari opened the second letter and was surprised, to say the least, at what she saw.

 **Dear Miss Potter,** the letter read,

 **We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find the enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment.**

 **The term starts on September 1st, and the train leaves promptly at 11 from platform 9 3/4. Do be on time.**

 **Yours Sincerely,**

 **Professor M. McGonagall**

 **Deputy Headmistress**

"What on earth! This can't be serious. There is no way that I'm a witch," Ari muttered as she began pacing her room.

After a few minutes though she came to a realization.

"But then again, this does fit with what Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were discussing earlier. If they thought magic was real and that I had it, then, that would explain what they were talking about stomping out of me," Ari rationalised.

After thinking that way, Ari began to see that maybe this letter wasn't so far-fetched after all. It would explain all the weird stuff that had happened around her that she could never explain before. All she knew was that she would have to wait until the end of the week for this Professor Snape to arrive. Hopefully, he would deem it "necessary" to answer some of her questions. For now, she was going to go to bed. Giving the owl, that was apparently now hers, one last look she dozed off for the night.

 _"Good night, little mistress."_

 **xXx**


	4. Chapter 3

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 3**

"Girl! You had better be dressed and downstairs in five minutes or else you will _not_ like the consequences," Uncle Vernon bellowed from downstairs.

The sound of her uncle's voice had Ari leaping from bed and running around trying to find her clothes. She had overslept. She still couldn't believe what had happened last night. And, if it had not been for the beautiful owl staring at her from her desk, she would have thought it all a dream.

"Morning, little one," Ari stated, giving a big yawn as she pulled a shirt over her head.

 _"Good morning, m'lady."_

"Do you know why I can understand you?" Ari asked.

 _"No, m'lady. Is that man always that loud, m'lady?"_

"Unfortunately, yes. Please try to be quiet. If my uncle, aunt, or cousin were to hear you, they would make me get rid of you - or worse," Ari warned in a whisper. All of a sudden, there was a pounding on Ari's door.

"Get out here, now!" Uncle Vernon ordered.

"I'm still changing, and it hasn't been five minutes yet," Ari responded, but realized instantly that it was the wrong thing to say.

"That's it! You don't back talk me," Uncle Vernon yelled as he tried to open the door.

'Good thing I locked it last night,' Ari thought as she looked around quickly for a place to hide her new owl.

 _"M'lady, you might want to think of something."_

"I'm thinking, give me a second," Ari stated beginning to panic.

 _"No offense meant, m'lady, but think faster."_

"First of all, it's Ari. Second of all, come here quickly," Ari stated suddenly having an idea.

 _"Yes, m'lady."_

"It's Ari. Now, come here," Ari reminded the owl while holding out her arm.

As soon as the owl landed gently on her arm, Ari ran over to the wardrobe and placed the owl inside. It didn't happen a moment too soon because Uncle Vernon finally got the door open with the master key.

"Morning, Uncle Vernon," stated Ari as she made a show of pulling on a sock.

"Downstairs, now! Some of us have places to go today," Uncle Vernon ordered as he grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her out of the bedroom.

Meanwhile, Ari's owl made herself comfortable on the pile of blankets and old sweaters and fell asleep thinking that at least she was comfortable.

Downstairs, Ari was preparing breakfast for the Dursleys when the mail arrived.

"Go get the mail, Dudley," Uncle Vernon ordered.

"I don't want to. Make Ari get it," Dudley whined.

"No, you go get it," Uncle Vernon ordered his son as Ari made to move towards the door.

"Whatever," muttered Dudley as he went to get the mail.

Two minutes later, Dudley walked back in, handed the mail to his father and continued eating.

"Well, it appears that I was correct. That letter was addressed to you by mistake; there isn't another one here," gloated Uncle Vernon.

"Of course, Uncle Vernon," Ari replied meekly while thinking, 'That's what you think.'

The rest of the day went calmly - as far as days at the Dursley house are concerned. Uncle Vernon was in such a good mood due to the lack of letters that he actually let Ari eat all three meals with the family. Of course, her portions were still far too small.

After doing the dishes, dusting the house, cleaning the windows, mowing the lawn, pruning the bushes and trees and making lunch, Ari was permitted to go upstairs until it was time to make dinner. Ari walked over to the wardrobe to find her new friend fast asleep in a makeshift nest.

"Hey, little one, it's time to get up. You can come out of the closet now," Ari stated in calm voice as she gently shook the owl.

 _"Hello, m'lady. Are you back for the day?"_

"No, I still have to make dinner and do those dishes. Sorry for shoving you in the wardrobe, it was the only place I could think of," Ari apologized.

 _"It's ok, m'lady. It was actually quite comfortable."_

"So, do you have a name?" Ari asked realizing she still didn't know what to call the owl.

 _"Not until you give me one."_

"Well then, I will have to come up with one shortly," responded Ari.

With that, Ari decided to grab one of the books off the shelf. A few hours and about ten chapters of _Les Miserable_ later, Ari heard Uncle Vernon's car pull up the driveway and decided it was time to go prepare dinner.

"I'll be back later," Ari stated as she moved over to the window. "While I'm gone, why don't you go find some food?"

 _"Thank you, m'lady. I will be back when I see your light turn off."_

With that, the owl flew off, and Ari prepared a delicious meal of chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice. She was just finishing the dishes when her uncle decided that he wanted to have a word with her.

"Your aunt says you need to get your uniform off the clothes line before it gets ruined. Also, in your spare time, go through Dudley's old school supplies and grab what you need," Uncle Vernon stated.

"Yes, sir," Ari answered.

"You are to stay in here the remainder of the night, and I don't want to hear a sound," Uncle Vernon continued.

"Yes, sir. Anything else?" Ari responded.

Without answering her, Uncle Vernon turned around and left the room. Once she was sure he had made it to the bottom of the stairs, she turned off her lights and locked her door. Seconds later, the owl came in through the window.

"How was your hunt?" Ari asked the little owl.

 _"Good. For a polished neighborhood, they sure have a lot of mice."_

Ari laughed at that, thinking how that statement would freak out her aunt. It was a very funny image.

"Where do you want to sleep?" Ari asked.

 _"Can I sleep in the box you put me in earlier?"_

"You found the wardrobe comfortable?" Ari questioned to see if she heard correctly.

 _"Yes, m'lady."_

"Sure, if you want to," Ari answered with a shrug, and she opened the wardrobe for the owl.

With that, both of them went to sleep for the night. The rest of the week went pretty much the same way. Ari received small meager meals because Uncle Vernon was happy that no more letters had arrived, there were no more 'lessons,' and she was permitted to remain in the smallest bedroom.

The morning of July 31st arrived quickly, and Ari was officially eleven. She woke up at seven to make sure she had all her chores done before Professor Snape arrived. Her relatives still didn't know about his impending arrival, and she was nervous about what their reaction would be.

Ari crept downstairs and began to prepare the breakfast that was served every day in the Dursley house; fried eggs, toast with jam, orange juice, coffee or tea, bacon, and hash browns. She was in the process of setting the table when the first sounds of the Dursleys stirring reached her. About five minutes later, Aunt Petunia arrived - she was always the first to awake. Aunt Petunia looked around and was surprised to see that not only did she not have to wake Ari up, but she also didn't have to get Ari to hurry up making breakfast.

"Good morning, Aunt Petunia. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," greeted Ari.

Aunt Petunia merely nodded and sat down at her seat. Ari poured her Aunt a cup of tea before making sure that the sugar and cream were on the table. The next Dursley to arrive was Uncle Vernon, and he just walked in and sat down.

"Get my coffee, girl," Uncle Vernon ordered.

"Yes, sir," Ari responded as she placed a cup of coffee in front of her uncle.

"Good to see that you are finally learning your responsibilities. It looks like the lessons are paying off finally. Of course, they will still have to continue to make sure that they stick permanently," Uncle Vernon commented casually while watching his niece tend to the food.

Dudley came down the stairs just as Ari was placing the final plate on the table.

"Good morning, my little Dudley-kins. Do you have any plans today?" Aunt Petunia gushed at her son.

"Yeah. Going over to Piers'. He got the new video game," Dudley responded as he attempted to drown his toast in strawberry jam.

"What about you, Vernon?" Aunt Petunia questioned.

"We're expecting a big order of drills today from America. So, I might be home a bit late," Uncle Vernon responded.

"Ari, your list of chores is on the counter for when you're done with the dishes," reminded Aunt Petunia.

"Actually Aunt Petunia, I have plans today," Ari stated cautiously as she began to inch towards the door.

"What plans? With whom?" Aunt Petunia questioned noticing that Uncle Vernon was about to start yelling. He was already past turning red and well into the color purple.

"Well...you see..."Ari began, but the doorbell rang before she could even attempt to explain.

"Go get the door, Girl," Uncle Vernon ordered while still trying to keep his temper so that whoever was at the door didn't hear him.

Ari ran to the door already expecting who it was, and she didn't want to keep her professor waiting. Ari opened the door to greet a man who looked like he would rather be anywhere except there. The man was thin with sallow skin and a crooked nose. It looked as though it had been broken many times. He was dressed in what looked like a robe. Uncle Vernon was not going to approve. Hedwig was right though, he did seem to have a permanent scowl on his face.

While she was taking in his outward appearance, he was taking in hers. To say he was not impressed would be an understatement. He knew that the girl was adopted, but he thought that Petunia would still care for the child. However, before him was a girl who looked to be seven, _not_ eleven and was wearing clothes that could easily be a tent for the girl.

"Are you going to invite me in, Miss Potter?" The man asked after overcoming his shock.

"Ummm... what? Oh yes, of course, sorry professor," Ari stumbled as she stood aside to allow her new professor inside.

"Are you always this eloquent?" the professor questioned as he stepped into the house. "Never mind, I can guess the answer to that. Now, where are your aunt and uncle? I need to discuss a few things with them before we leave."

As he said all of this he looked around and had to resist the urge to wrinkle his nose. The house was far to clean to be normal. Of course, this was Petunia he was talking about.

"I know how to talk, and they are in the kitchen," Ari responded. She was getting the impression that this teacher was difficult to impress.

Professor Snape gave her a look that said he wasn't impressed by her response. She thought back to what she had just said and went wide eyed instantly; she had been impudent.

"That remains to be seen and don't be disrespectful. Lead the way," the professor said watching the child's facial expressions. She was an open book very much like Lily had been.

Ari led the way to the kitchen. The professor continued to look around as they went. He noticed that the house was very clean and there were no pictures of Miss Potter anywhere to be seen. Something here did not feel right to Professor Snape, and he was going to find out what it was. He had long ago learned not to ignore these feelings. They were what kept him alive during the war and helped him to survive the marauders at school. When they entered the kitchen, all three Dursleys looked up.

"Well, who was at the door, girl?" Uncle Vernon questioned not seeing the man behind his niece.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, this is Professor Snape. He has come to take me shopping for my school supplies. These are the plans that I was telling you about," responded Ari who wondered if she should hide behind the professor.

"And when were these plans made? I don't remember you getting a call, letter, or email," Uncle Vernon snapped.

"I sent your niece a letter when the owl that delivered her Hogwarts letter returned with no response," the professor answered.

He scrutinized the three individuals in front of him, and he was not impressed. Two of the three were in danger of having major health issues, if the uncle didn't already because of how they ate. Plus it left the question of why was Potter so skinny if her uncle and cousin were morbidly obese. It painted a grim picture, and he wasn't liking it.

"And just who are you?" Uncle Vernon questioned not liking where this was going.

"I am Professor Snape, professor of potions and head of Slytherin house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Professor Snape answered coming out of his train of thought. "I am to assume that you have explained everything to Miss Potter, and it was sheer negligence on her part that prevented Hogwarts from getting a response."

He, of course, had a feeling that he already knew the answer to his statement. It wasn't the one that he had come here thinking.

"No. We sent no response because she will _not_ be going. I refuse to have a _freak_ in this household," Uncle Vernon yelled.

"Great... you just made my job even more difficult, muggle," Professor Snape muttered under his breath before turning to Ari. "Ari, what do you know of your parents and your abilities?"

"I know that mom and dad died in a car crash. Dad was a good for nothing, lay-around drunk. Mom was a whore who went and got pregnant before being properly married," Ari repeated back what she had been told about her parents for as long as she could remember before remembering the second part of the question. "I keep making things happen without meaning to. Also, I can talk to snakes and the owl you sent me. By the way, what did you mean by it bites? She hasn't bit me once yet."

"What do you mean 'owl'?" Uncle Vernon questioned.

"After you took my first letter, they sent me a second one and told me to keep the owl," Ari answered honestly.

Professor Snape meanwhile was trying his best to keep his anger. He would gather all of the facts and then he would act.

"First of all, your parents did not die in a car crash and your father, loath as I am to say it, was not a drunk. Your parents were married before they tried for any children; however, Lily found out she could not carry."

He paused to let this information sink in for the eleven year old.

"Then, they aren't my birth parents," Ari answered after a few seconds.

Professor Snape nodded, " Correct. Lily and James are your adoptive parents. You were brought to them by someone from the hospital when you were a few days old. Next, they were murdered by an evil wizard. He tried to kill you and failed. That is where your scar came from."

"What was the wizard's name?" Ari asked.

"Nobody speaks the name," Professor Snape snapped before rethinking the question. "However, it can't do you any harm to know. He was called Voldemort. Everyone calls him You-Know-Who. I recommend you do the same."

"Did you know my parents?" Ari asked.

"I knew your mother, yes. I also knew your aunt. Isn't that right, Tuney?" Professor Snape asked turning his attention to the Dursleys.

"You were a freak of a boy then, and I can see you haven't changed. The girl isn't going," Aunt Petunia snapped.

"We swore we would stamp the nonsense out of her. She just needs more lessons is all. Plus, I am not paying for all the books and supplies that are required," Uncle Vernon added.

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed at the implications hidden in that statement. Ari tried to hide her flinch from that statement and had it been anybody else, she would have succeeded. This just further confirmed his suspicions. Now, he just needed to get the child to talk to him.

"Then, it is a good thing she doesn't require your assistance to buy the necessary supplies," Professor Snape responded with a sneer and moved to walk away before pausing at the door and turning back to the Dursleys. "One more thing, don't _ever_ let me catch you threatening abuse upon a child, magical or otherwise. Those kinds of actions are not tolerated."

He looked at the child that had maneuvered herself to put himself between her and her Dursleys and saw the fear that she tried to hide from the rest of the world. If Lily could see this, she would be raining hell down on all of them.

"Now, Miss Potter, let's go. We have many supplies to buy, and I have potions I need to return to," Professor Snape instructed and maneuvered her towards the door..

Ari hesitated for a moment. She really didn't know or trust Professor Snape. However, he couldn't be any worse than the Dursleys, and going to Hogwarts would get her away from the Dursleys for most of the year every year until she was an adult. Decision made, she needed to make sure that her new friend upstairs would be safe as well.

"Professor, may I bring the owl with me? I need to get supplies for her too, and the Dursleys might hurt her if I leave her."

"Go get her, quickly," Professor Snape responded seeing the logic of the child's statement. It was also obvious that the girl had become attached to the creature no matter how much he had wanted to stuff it into a pillow earlier this week.

Ari ran upstairs and into her room.

"Come on, the professor is here to take me to get my supplies, and you're coming," Ari told the owl.

 _"Yes, m'lady."_

The owl flew and landed gracefully upon Ari's shoulder. Ari ran downstairs to find Professor Snape waiting for her by the door.

"Tell her to meet us at the Leaky Cauldron. We can't take her on the subway with us," Professor Snape instructed.

"Can you meet us at the Leaky Cauldron?" Ari asked.

 _"Yes, m'lady. I know the way. I will meet you by the back entrance to Diagon Alley."_

The owl flew off. Ari hoped she knew where she was going.

"She said she would meet us by the back entrance to Diagon Alley," Ari told the professor who was looking between Ari and the vanishing owl with an unreadable expression.

"Good. Let's go," said Professor Snape, and he led Ari out the door.

Ari had a feeling that her life was about to change drastically, and she was excited. She followed Professor Snape down the street for a day of excitement.

 **xXx**


	5. Chapter 4

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **Once more, I do NOT own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 4**

Ari and Professor Snape made their way down the street in silence - it was the uncomfortable sort. She had started of excited; however, Ari then realized what her professor had just witnessed. Ari hadn't wanted anybody to know what her home life was like and now Professor Snape knew.

Eventually, Professor Snape was the one to break the silence, but Ari wished he hadn't.

"Tell me, Miss Potter, how long has your uncle been beating you?" Professor Snape asked.

"My uncle doesn't-" Ari began to deny the abuse, using one of her ready-made excuses for such occasions.

Professor Snape stopped abruptly and looked Ari straight in the eyes.

"Do _not_ attempt to lie to me, Ari. I know the signs of an abusive household. Now, how long?" Professor Snape interrupted before she could answer his question with a response that had probably been beaten into her.

Ari took an abrupt step back. She knew too well what could happen when an adult was angry. The action was of course not missed by her professor. He relaxed his stance and took a step back himself. This in turn allowed Ari to relax a little but not much.

"Since I was three and weird stuff began to happen around me," Ari responded quietly without looking up. She knew what could happen when an adult got mad.

"That 'weird stuff' as you so eloquently put it is called accidental magic and your aunt knew that," explained Professor Snape as he began to walk again.

"Then, why didn't she explain it to me?" Ari inquired, a bit hurt that her aunt had known what was happening and had never told her. Her eyes then went wide; she had asked a question.

"Jealousy, Miss Potter. Simple jealousy," Professor Snape answered shortly. He hadn't expected this situation when he had been asked by the Headmaster to escort Potter. It was like a slap in the face. His previous beliefs were quickly being proven false. Her reaction after asking the question had not been missed either.

"You can ask questions, Miss Potter. Just try not to be annoying about it."

Ari nodded hesitantly. She wasn't sure what to make of that.

They continued on in silence. Ari was trying to figure out what else in her life was a lie. She wanted answers; unfortunately, the only person she knew who could give her answers obviously wasn't somebody who enjoyed answering them no matter what he said. Professor Snape, on the other hand, was thinking of what exactly he was going to tell the annoying old man that called himself Headmaster when he returned to the school.

By now, they had taken a bus and a subway to get to London and were walking down a sidewalk. The silence was starting to get to Ari, and she was having way too much time to think. Ari was starting to wonder if this was all a joke, or some grand scheme to kidnap her. Maybe she should have just been grateful to go to Stonewall.

"This isn't a joke or a scheme," said Professor Snape out of nowhere.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Ari questioned starting to get creeped out.

"Your emotions are written on your face. Now, do you have your list of supplies with you?" Professor Snape answered.

"Yes. It's right here," Ari answered taking a look at the list that she had put in her pocket that morning.

 **All students require the following items.**

 **Uniform:**

 **Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

 **One plain pointed hat (black) for everyday wear**

 **One pair of dragonhide gloves**

 **One black winter cloak with silver fastenings**

 **Parents are reminded that the student's name needs to be on ALL belongings.**

 **Course Books: One of each**

 **The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)**

 **A History of Magic**

 **Magical Theory**

 **A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration**

 **One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi**

 **Magical Drafts and Potions**

 **Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them**

 **The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection**

 **Equipment:**

 **1 wand**

 **1 standard size 2 pewter cauldron**

 **1 set of glass or crystal phials**

 **1 telescope**

 **1 set of brass scales**

 **1 owl OR cat OR toad**

 **Parents of first years are reminded that first years are NOT permitted to bring their own brooms.**

"Where are we going to go to get all of this?" Ari questioned looking in disbelief at some of the objects on the list.

"Your owl already told you," replied Professor Snape as he continued to make his way up the winding streets.

"No, she said that she would meet us at the back entrance to someplace called the Leaky Cauldron," Ari denied.

Professor Snape gave her a look that asked if she was truly that clueless. Upon seeing that she had no epiphany, he enlightened her, "The Leaky Cauldron is in front of the entrance to Diagon Alley. That is where we will buy your supplies."

"Oh, are we almost there?" Ari questioned while looking around.

"We are here," replied Professor Snape as he stopped in front of an old building.

Ari looked around, but people just continued to walk past the building as if they didn't even see it. She had a feeling that they were the only ones who _could_ see it.

"Let's go, and stay close," Professor Snape said as he ushered Ari inside the building.

It took a few moments for Ari's eyes to adjust to the lack of light. However, once they did, she saw the oddest assortment of beings she had ever seen. There were people in cloaks, ratty worn out clothes and clothes that just plain did not match. Ari firmly believed that Aunt Petunia would have a heart attack if she ever saw such a sight.

"Come along, Miss Potter," Professor Snape urged. People were beginning to look at the couple who had just entered. Most of them recognized the grumpy potions professor; however, many were doing a double take at the girl that was with him. A few had recognition dawning upon their faces and one such person came over.

"Miss Potter, it is an extreme honor to finally meet you," a woman whose name was apparently Doris Crockford, according to the embroidery on her coat, exclaimed.

After that, it was like the floodgates had opened wide. There was a sudden sound of chairs scraping the hardwood floor as nearly everybody jumped up from their seats to welcome the girl-who-lived. Ari was forced to shake hands with and be introduced to more people in the span of five minutes than she had in her first eleven years. She had to force herself not to bolt right back out the door when the crowd got too close for comfort and when the handshakes started. She was introduced to a bubbly man named Dedalus Diggle, and she was happy to realize that he was one of the people who used to wave to her on the street but would then vanish.

"ALRIGHT! THAT IS ENOUGH!" Professor Snape yelled over the noise of the crowd. "Miss Potter has shopping to do, and needs to get moving."

The crowd quickly parted making way for the pair to get to the back door. Everybody, that is, except for one man who seemed to be trembling. When the crowd stepped back, he stepped forward. He was obviously nervous about something with the way that his body was trembling and his hand were fidgeting with the edge of his robe.

"P-pleased to s-s-see you here, P-P-Professor S-Snape," the man stammered horribly. Ari could already tell that she would not be able to talk to this person for an extended period of time without going crazy.

Professor Snape's head snapped towards the man and something akin to worry flashed through his eyes. He subtly stepped in front of Ari. Ari had no idea what was going on, but it was obvious to her that Professor Snape did not like or trust this man.

"Indeed. Ari, this is Professor Quirrell. He will be in charge of teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts," Professor Snape explained while his eyes did not stray from Professor Quirrell.

"P-Potter, very p-pleased to meet you," Professor Quirrell stammered as he moved to shake Ari's hand.

"I do believe that I stated, Quirrell, that Miss Potter needed to get moving on her shopping," Professor Snape intervened before the two could make physical contact. "Let's go, Ari."

"Of c-co-course. S-Sorry to k-keep you," Professor Quirrell apologized as the pair continued their way out of the pub.

Ari had a feeling that something was not right with that guy; however, she did not know what. For now, she decided to just keep her eyes open.

"You would do well not to be caught alone with Professor Quirrell, Ari," Professor Snape warned as soon as they were out of earshot of the other professor.

"Why is that, Professor?" Ari questioned wanting all the facts to make a decision for herself.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with, just do it," Professor Snape snapped and Ari realized that she had overstepped her boundaries with the professor.

"Yes, sir," Ari replied quickly and moved to put a bit more space between herself and Professor Snape. "However, I was already thinking of avoiding him. I don't think I could handle listening to that annoying stammer any more than necessary."

Ari thought that for a second she saw Professor Snape's lips twitch as he tried not to smile at that comment. However, when she looked closer, she saw that he was just as stern faced as normal.

They made their way out the back door of the pub and stopped in front of the brick wall. All of a sudden, something landed on Ari's shoulder, and she let out a scream. Professor Snape snapped around with his wand out; however, what he saw caused him to roll his eyes in exasperation.

"Really, Potter, it is just your owl," Professor Snape said with mild exasperation.

Ari opened her eyes to see that it was indeed her new friend resting upon her shoulder.

 _"Did I scare you, m'lady?"_

"Only a little," Ari admitted while straightening herself up from her hunched over position. "Next time, please don't land on me without me knowing."

 _"Of course, m'lady. Next time, I shall make sure you see me coming or make a lot of noise."_

"Miss Potter," Professor Snape called trying to get his student's attention while looking around and making sure that they weren't being watched.. "In the future, it might be more prudent not to be talking to an owl in public."

"Why is that professor?" Ari questioned turning towards the professor.

Professor Snape was starting to see that Ari was naturally inquisitive when allowed to be.

"It is not deemed normal to be able to communicate with owls. So, unless you want people muttering about you being a dark witch before you even arrive at Hogwarts, I recommend that you refrain from talking to her until you get home," Professor Snape responded. He honestly hoped that Ari took his advice. He really didn't want to have to deal with the consequences if she didn't.

"Ok," answered Ari, not completely understanding why talking to her owl was dark but trusting the professor. Afterall, he had been completely honest with her so far.

With that clarified, Professor Snape proceeded to tap the brick wall. Ari then watched in amazement as the wall opened up like some secret passageway.

"This, Ari, is Diagon Alley," Professor Snape explained and watched as Ari's eyes lit up in excitement.

Ari truly believed she would need six more eyes as she tried to take in everything. The street was lined on either side by mix-match buildings. None of them were the same and yet they all seemed to belong. The street was crowded as adults ran this way and that trying to find the items they were searching for or trying to gather up their fleeing children. The children were however not to be restrained as they ducked under adults and pushed through crowds trying to see everything and anything.

Items were lined up outside the shops. Owls, cats, bats, cauldrons, and weird looking clothes. Ari tried to take in everything but knew it was impossible.

"Come on, Miss Potter, and stick close. I would rather not have to explain to people how you got lost on my watch," Professor Snape's voice called her away from her observations.

They picked their way through the crowd. From what Ari could tell, they were heading towards the large white marble building at the end of the alley. Professor Snape made certain to keep Ari in front of him and within arm's length at all times. He didn't want to have to explain the Headmaster how he had managed to lose her. They walked up the steps and were bowed through the bronze doors by the strangest creature Ari had ever seen.

Before they entered the silver doors, Ari stopped to read the poem:

 **Enter, stranger, but take heed**

 **Of what awaits the sin of greed,**

 **For those who take, but do not earn,**

 **Must pay most dearly in their turn.**

 **So if you seek beneath our floors**

 **A treasure that was never yours,**

 **Thief, you have been warned, beware**

 **Of finding more than treasure there.**

"I would heed the warning, Miss Potter. The goblins do not easily forgive, as you will learn in your history of magic class," Professor Snape advised.

"What exactly do the goblins do, Professor?" Ari inquired.

"They run the bank and protect the treasure left in their care. There are other tasks, but for now, that is all you need to know. Now, here is your key. Since you are now eleven it is your responsibility not to lose it," Professor Snape responded and handed Ari a small golden key with a number engraved on it..

With that, he led Ari through the silver doors and up to a goblin who was not helping another customer.

"Miss Potter wishes to visit her vault," Professor Snape informed the goblin.

The goblin leaned over the counter to look at the small girl before him.

"Does Miss Potter have her key?" was the response of the goblin's rough voice.

"Right here," Ari stated simply as she handed the goblin her key.

The goblin nodded.

"Follow Griphook. He will take you to your vault," instructed the goblin as another one walked forward, took the key and began to lead them away.

Ari could think of only one word to describe the rail cart ride that led them down to her vault: awesome. Going death defying speeds around sharp turns and steep hills, Ari could think of nothing better. Professor Snape on the other hand was turning a spectacular shade of green and looked to be struggling to hold on to his breakfast. At one point, Ari could've sworn that she saw something at the bottom. She leaned so far over to get a better look that she was in serious danger of falling out. Professor Snape yanked her back in while asking if she had a death wish.

"Use your brain child! You fall to your death, and I'm the one that is going to have to answer to everybody wondering what happened. Now, stay seated."

The cart finally came to a stop in front of a vault with the numbers 687 on it. Ari looked around and noticed there were only a few other vaults within sight.

"This way," Griphook stated as he walked towards the vault.

He opened the door and stood to the side. Ari looked inside and noticed that it was almost completely full of weird coins. It didn't look at all like the money she had seen her aunt and uncle use. She looked to Professor Snape hoping to get an explanation, and luckily, he seemed to understand.

"The gold ones are called galleons, the silver ones are called sickles and the bronze ones are called knuts. The conversion rates are not as straightforward as muggle money. One galleon equals 17 sickles or 493 knuts, and one sickles equals 29 knuts," Professor Snape explained.

"This all belonged to my parents?" Ari questioned. She could not believe after almost ten years of hearing her aunt and uncle complain that she actually had money.

"Yes, this is the vault that your parents set aside for you to learn the value of budgeting and spending wisely. There are other Potter family vaults that you will gain access to upon your majority," Professor Snape explained.

"Why would they do this for me? It's not like I am their-" Ari started.

"Stop right there, Miss Potter," Professor Snape interrupted already knowing where her statement was heading. "You might not be their daughter by birth, but the Potters loved you just the same. In their eyes, you were theirs. In their wills, they left you everything except for some monetary belongings that went to some friends."

"Ok, how much should I take? I don't know how much anything costs," Ari asked still a bit overwhelmed.

"Grab one galleon worth of knuts, 4 galleons worth of sickles, and about 75 galleons. That should get you your supplies and extra money if you have to owl for anything during the school year," Professor Snape directed.

Ari did as he said, and then they both headed back towards the cart.

"You will remain seated or you will receive your first detention before school even starts, Miss Potter," Professor Snape ordered as he noticed Ari starting to lean over the cart again; needless to say, she sat back down.

They arrived back outside and had to wait a few minutes for their eyes to adjust to the major difference in lighting.

"Let's get you measured for your robes and uniform first, Miss Potter. Then Madam Malkin can work on them while you finish your shopping," Professor Snape stated while directing Ari towards the aforementioned shop.

Upon entering, Ari immediately noticed a difference in her professor's demeanor. Up until now, he had been agreeable, not overly friendly but not a complete jerk. Now he was standing in a corner glaring at everyone, mainly her.

"Come to get your robes, deary?" A short friendly witch questioned.

"Yes ma'am," Ari responded quietly.

"Well, just wait right there. I am almost done with this young man," she instructed.

Ari then noticed that there was a young boy standing on the stool draped in what was to obviously become his school uniforms. It looked like he was one of those rich students if the silk material was anything to go by.

"All right deary, you can step down," the friendly witch stated. "I will be right back."

"So, you going to Hogwarts too?" the young wizard questioned Ari. He was looking her up and down as if to determine if she was worthy of speaking to him.

"Yes, I just received my letter," Ari responded trying to figure out what he was aiming for with this conversation.

"My name is Draco Malfoy the first and only son of Lord and Lady Malfoy. Therefore, as you can tell by that, I am a pureblood wizard," bragged the young boy who was really starting to remind Ari of Dudley.

"How nice for you," was Ari's only response.

"Do you know what house you're going to be in? I know that most likely _I'm_ going to be in Slytherin since practically my entire family has been, with the exception of a few Ravenclaws. I mean, I can't be a Gryffindor since I actually know how to use my brain, and I would simply die before I became a Hufflepuff," Draco continued on as if Ari's answer didn't faze him at all. "By the way, where are your parents?"

"They died before when I was little. What are Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff?" Ari responded, not particularly wanting to talk about them.

"Sorry about your parents. To answer your question, those are the names of the school houses," Draco responded, sounding only a little sorry for the girl who had no parents.

"They were our kind though, right, and how do you not know about the school houses?" Draco questioned. He didn't yet notice the professor that was blending into the shadows in the corner. However, Ari noticed Professor Snape stiffen at the first part of the question.

"They were a witch and wizard if that is what you mean. As I said, they died when I was little, and my relatives kept magic a secret from me hoping that I wasn't going to be a witch," Ari answered, trying to avoid stepping into the landmine that the first question obviously posed. She would have to ask the professor later.

"Good, the other kind just really doesn't fit in. I mean they don't even know about magic until they receive their letter," Draco continued on obviously happy with her answer and then realizing what he said. "I mean - you're different. You were born a witch and your family kept it from you. By the way, what is your name?"

"Ari Potter," Ari answered. Draco's eyes widened in realization.

" _You're_ Ari Potter?" Draco questioned.

"Yeah," Ari responded wondering why he was reacting this way to her name.

"Well that explains _everything_. Let me help you out. Really, all you need to know is that there are three types of witches and wizards: purebloods, half-bloods, and muggleborns. Purebloods are like me, and everybody in their family has magic. Half-bloods are families that have both muggle and magical blood. Finally, muggleborns are those that are born from all muggle families. Not that hard really. You are classified as a half-blood because of your mom," Draco explained.

"What was wrong with my mom?" Ari questioned not sure she wanted the answer. However, she also realized that she apparently would not have to ask the professor if Draco explained it to her.

"Your mom was a muggleborn. Therefore, you have muggle blood in your family," Draco explained calmly, realising that Ari would not understand everything right away.

At that moment, the witch came back in and told Draco that he was free to go.

"Well, see you later then. Let's try and meet up on the train, and I can explain some important stuff about Hogwarts before we arrive," Draco told Ari as he gathered his belongings to leave.

"Ok," Ari said, and Draco left.

Ari spent the next hour getting fitted for school robes, skirts, shirts, sweaters, winter cloaks, and some everyday clothes. It was made much more difficult because she kept flinching every time the seamstress made contact with her. She got the everyday clothes because Professor Snape, who finally decided to come out of the shadows, stated that she needed some clothes that actually fit her. He warned her that without them she would most definitely be teased by her peers.

They left the store after being told the clothes would be owled to Ari when they were finished.

"I would be careful with the young Mister Malfoy if I were you, Ari," Professor Snape warned as they walked along.

"Why?" Ari questioned not wanting to believe that her possible new friend was someone to be avoided.

She'd never had friends thanks to Dudley; however, she thought that she could get along with Draco fairly easily.

"It's not that something is wrong with Draco, Ari. However, you need to be careful around his father. Lord Malfoy is not somebody to take lightly," Professor Snape explained trying to get her to understand the need for caution.

"Yes, sir," Ari responded. However, she decided she would withhold judgment until she got to talk to Draco again.

"Ok, let's get your potion ingredients next. I can pick up some supplies that I need while we are at it."

They entered Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, and Professor Snape led Ari over to the school kits.

"Grab a kit, and then I will help you grab the other items that you will require. The kits never contain enough or everything that you need," he instructed Ari, and she quickly complied.

"Now, we'll grab some extra black beetle eyes, armadillo bile, mint, snake fangs, eye of newt, belladonna and peppermint," he continued to grab ingredients that Ari would need for school, explaining that these tended to be the ones that students ran out of the most due to messing up while preparing them.

"You kit already includes phials and scales, so all we need to grab now is a cauldron," Professor Snape explained while directing Ari to the cauldrons. She grabbed a cauldron that fit the description of the one on her list and paid for all of her supplies.

After leaving the apothecary, they decided that they should head over to Ollivander's to get Ari her wand. This was the part that Ari looked forward to the most. Outside the shop Ari sensed an old magic. It wasn't hostile, but it felt different from the rest of Diagon Alley. They walked inside and were greeted by a grey haired man.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would be arriving, Miss Potter. My name is Ollivander. Now which hand are you?" Ollivander greeted and questioned. His piercing, knowing gaze was starting to make Ari's skin crawl.

"Umm, I'm right handed," Ari answered, slightly wary of the man.

Ollivander nodded to this and then set a tape measure to measuring everything: arm length, height, distance between eyes- anything that could be and would never be of importance. The tape measure and Mr. Ollivander apparently did not know about the concept of personal space. Mr. Ollivander finally called back the tape measure and summoned about ten boxes to him. He handed Ari the wand that was inside the first one.

"Ash, sturdy, ten inches and good for defense. Well, give it a wave," he instructed when he saw her just standing there.

Ari gave the wand a wave, feeling completely foolish. She looked around to see if anything happened. At first she saw nothing, but when she looked at Professor Snape, she couldn't help but laugh. Her stern professor's hair was red and gold.

Ollivander promptly took back that wand and handed her another. He didn't bother to give her its specifics because he took it back the second her fingertips touched it.

It continued on like this for another half hour. Ari had blown up three shelves, the front window, and had turned Mr. Ollivander's robes pink. Even Professor Snape was starting to get interested.

"You are a tricky customer but have no worries; we will find one for you," Ollivander exclaimed excitedly. Then his expression changed to one of wonder.

He ran to the back part of his store and came back a few minutes later with a black box. Ollivander hesitated for the smallest of seconds and then opened the box. He handed the wand to Ari.

"Holly, phoenix feather, and eleven inches," Ollivander stated.

The second that Ari grasped the wand, Ari knew it was the one. She felt warmth coming from it. It felt right.

"Very interesting," Ollivander muttered but everyone heard him.

"What is interesting?" Ari inquired.

"I know every wand that I have ever made and sold, Miss Potter. Your wand has only one brother, and that brother gave you that scar. It is interesting that this wand would choose you. Most likely it feels a bond due to the scar its brother left," Ollivander explained.

Ari glanced over at Professor Snape to see his reaction to this revelation. It wasn't good; he had gone extremely pale.

Ari paid for the wand, and Professor Snape led her out of the store. Once outside, Professor Snape pulled Ari aside.

"Don't tell anybody what you found about your wand. Nobody wishes to think about the defeater of the Dark Lord having a twin core wand," Professor Snape instructed with great urgency. He almost looked panicked.

"Let me guess, it could lead to me being shunned or treated poorly," Ari responded starting to think that that was going to be theme of the day.

"Correct, Miss Potter," Professor Snape answered regaining control of his emotions. Ari nodded in response, and he knew she would keep it quiet.

Professor Snape then led her to Flourish and Blotts where she purchased her books and a few others. Some of the extra books that she picked up included _Hogwarts a History_ and one known as _A Complete History of the Magical World: From Creation to Present._ The last one mentioned something about a goddess named Hecate that formed the wizarding world, which caught Ari's attention. Professor Snape agreed that it was wise for Ari to know as much as she could about the wizarding world before she went to Hogwarts. Therefore, he also recommended she get the book _Wizarding Etiquette and Culture_. It was a book about the customs and traditions of the wizarding world.

By the time that Ari had purchased all of the books, Professor Snape decided that they had everything required and that the only thing left to do was to stop by Eeylops Owl Emporium. At the shop, Ari purchased a nice cage for her owl along with some food and basic care supplies. She knew she would need to come up with a name for her new friend soon and hoped her books would give her some ideas.

Professor Snape shrunk all the bags and told Ari's owl, who had been following them all day, to head home before leading Ari out into the muggle part of London. There they decided to go to a nice little cafe for lunch.

"Professor, why did your attitude change when we went to get my robes?" Ari finally asked the question that had been bothering her all day.

"There are things in this world that you really should not concern yourself with, Miss Potter, and that is one of those things," Professor Snape responded, shocked that she had been observant enough to notice.

With that, the topic dropped, though Ari was not in the least happy with the answer. However, she knew better than to argue with adults. It never ended well. They finished their lunch and made their way to the subway. From the subway, they made their way back to Privet Drive. Once outside, Professor Snape stopped Ari.

"Your train leaves at exactly eleven on the first of September. Should your relatives refuse to get you there or you miss it due to your own stupidity, send a letter with your owl to Hogwarts and somebody will come and retrieve you. Under no circumstances are you to attempt to use magic. Understood?" Professor Snape instructed while trying to make sure he remembered everything. He handed her a ticket for the train.

"Yes, sir."

With that, they walked inside. Ari led the professor upstairs, and he unshrunk her items for her and left the house. Ari's relatives avoided her for the rest of the summer, and Ari could honestly say she didn't care. While reading _A History of Magic_ she finally came across a name for her little friend.

"Little one, what do you think of the name Hedwig?" Ari questioned.

 _"It is a very lovely name, m'lady. Is there any special meaning behind it?"_

"It was the name of a medieval medical witch who went around and healed the sick people that could not afford expensive physicians. She was named a saint for her good deeds," Ari explained.

 _"That is a very lovely name, m'lady. I would love to be named after such a wonderful lady."_

"Then Hedwig is your name," Ari stated as though to finalise something of deep importance. Of course, the bond between these two was so strong that this was a very significant step.

 **oOo**

Meanwhile, Professor Snape had apparated away to Hogwarts once he found a suitable abandoned alley. Once outside the gates, he quickly made his way to the office of the headmaster, who he knew was waiting for him.

He gave the password, skittles, to the gargoyle with great annoyance and opened the door once his knock was answered. Inside, the headmaster was extremely happy to see his professor had returned.

Headmaster Dumbledore was a wise and merry old man who had seen much in his 100+ years of life. He knew that many of his employees found him annoying; however, he honestly believed that one should not live just to please others. He played the merry old, doting grandfather to put his students at ease and, honestly, it worked.

"Ah, Severus, my boy, welcome back. I trust that everything went smoothly. Did you find out why young Miss Potter did not answer her letter?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, it went about as smoothly as possible with only a small run in with the young Malfoy boy as an obstacle. And, yes, I know why she did not respond to her letter," Professor Snape answered stiffly while hoping to make the Headmaster see reason.

"And what reason would that be?" Dumbledore pushed.

"Her relatives took the letter from her and were not going to let her attend. Dumbledore, that child is neglected at best and abused severely at worst. The Dursleys didn't even tell her about her parents or magic. The child knows nothing of our world or her past. For crying out loud, I had to explain to her how her parents were murdered," Professor Snape began to rant not even noticing how the headmaster's eyes widened.

"What do you propose, Severus?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Pull her out of that house. It is not worth it if she is protected from outside forces but not the inside," Professor Snape urged.

"You know that I cannot do that. The wards that protect her are too important. You yourself know how much research it took to adjust those wards to accept her adopted family as blood protection," Professor Dumbledore responded.

"It is not worth it. You leave her there and eventually Ari will break - or worse," Professor Snape stated trying to get his boss to see reason.

The Headmaster thought about this for a few minutes. On one hand, he wanted the child to remain inside the wards where she was safe from the lingering dark wizards that wished her harm. On the other hand, if the child was truly being abused, then he needed to pull her out as soon as possible. This was, after all, a child that he considered to be almost his granddaughter.

"She must be there for at least the weeks before, of, and after her birthday. If you can find an acceptable substitute for the rest of summer I will consider it. However, let's not worry about it till near the end of the current school year," the Headmaster conceded as he did not want the child to be horribly stressed.

"I see no reason for her to return at all. However, that is the best I am going to get, isn't it?" Professor Snape inquired.

Professor Dumbledore nodded his head somberly, and Professor Snape knew that he should just be glad that the Headmaster was willing to compromise this much. He knew that the wards prevented Voldemort's remaining followers from being able to track down Ari. If it wasn't for those wards, Ari would have probably not made it to her second birthday. The wards protected her when she was away from Hogwarts or in the safety of a trusted wizarding family. So, Miss Potter would return, but at least now, it would only be for a couple of weeks and not the entire three months. Now, all was left to do was to find a trusted family to take her in the rest of the time.

 **xXx**


	6. Chapter 5

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 5**

The last month with the Dursleys went by rather uneventfully for Ari. That is to say that Uncle Vernon did not teach any of his lessons to Ari. In fact, the Dursleys ignored Ari. They still left a chore list for her to do every day, but they did not yell at her. They didn't even look at her. For all of this, Ari was grateful.

Ari spent her free time in her room reading her new books. She finished reading _A History of Magic, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, Magical Drafts and Potions, Hogwarts a History_ and _Wizarding Etiquette and Culture_. She was well on her way through _A Complete History of the Magical World: From Creation to Present_. She found this book to be one of the more fascinating ones. From what she read, a goddess named Hecate created a race of magical beings to teach in her ways. As her people were being persecuted in the witch hunts, Hecate created a world for them that was separate but joined with the mortal world. Her people remained unchanged in their ways while the mortals developed technology and new methods of living.

Hecate herself was the Greek goddess of magic, sorcery, witchcraft, crossroads, trivial knowledge and necromancy. While not one of the Olympians, in her own way she was quite powerful. As such, she did not like the other gods and goddesses interfering with her people. She preferred that they leave her people alone. Ari felt like she almost knew the goddess. The goddess looked familiar; almost like a dream. She remembered her dream about giant people arguing and wondered if the two were connected.

It was the last day of summer, and Ari was going to tell her aunt and uncle that she needed a lift to the train station. She had already realised that Professor Snape had forgot to tell her how to get onto the platform. However, she was fairly certain that she could figure it out. She just needed to get a ride. She waited this long because she knew that if she had asked sooner, the Dursleys would have found some excuse to not take her.

She approached the living room to find the Dursleys watching television. Ari walked in and decided it was now or never.

"Umm...Uncle Vernon," Ari started hesitantly. She had enjoyed the lack of lessons and didn't want her uncle to start again.

Uncle Vernon grunted.

"The train for my school leaves tomorrow, and I need a ride," Ari stated taking the grunt as a sign to start talking.

He grunted again.

Ari took that to mean okay, and she began to walk back up to her bedroom.

"Funny thing magic. Are all of your brooms and carpets broken?" Uncle Vernon stated with great cruelty.

"Actually, first years aren't allowed brooms and magic carpets are illegal in Great Britain," Ari responded.

"Ha! Where is this blasted school anyways?" Uncle Vernon questioned.

"Somewhere in Scotland. That's why we have to purchase the winter cloaks," Ari responded. She then left the room before her uncle could say anymore to her.

Ari returned to her room and began to make sure that everything was packed for school. She didn't want to forget any of her books. She knew that if she left anything, and the Dursleys happened upon it, it would not be there when she got back. She put all her school clothes into the trunk and left out a pair of jeans and a top she bought in Diagon Alley.

 _"M'lady, you need to go to sleep. You don't want to oversleep and miss your train tomorrow."_

"I know Hedwig. I am about to go to bed. Night, Hedwig," Ari stated.

 _"Good night, m'lady."_

Ari woke up at five the next morning and decided that it was not worth it to try and go back to sleep. She got dressed in her lavender top and blue jeans before heading down stairs. She decided to let Hedwig keep sleeping.

Downstairs she began preparing breakfast for the Dursleys. She had just finished pouring the coffee when all three Dursleys came down together.

"Well, at least the girl remembers her place," Uncle Vernon muttered under his breath.

Ari took her place in the corner of the kitchen and waited to get anything that the Dursleys might need. The Dursleys ate in silence, and then, Aunt Petunia silently handed Ari a plate of the left over eggs, bacon, and toast.

"What time does that train of yours leave girl?" Uncle Vernon questioned as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Eleven, sir."

"Be ready to leave at nine. I will not have Dudley being late to his first day of school because of you and your freakishness," Uncle Vernon ordered.

"Yes, sir," Ari responded as she headed upstairs until it was time to leave.

Upon entering her room, Ari found Hedwig to be awake and ready for food.

 _"Did you sleep well, m'lady?"_

"Very well thank you and call me Ari."

 _"Yes, m'lady."_

"You're never going to do it are you?"

 _"No, m'lady."_

A few hours later, Ari had personally packed her heavy trunk into the trunk, and they were on their way to Kings Cross Station. Once there, Uncle Vernon unloaded the trunk, placed it and Hedwig onto a trolley and pushed it into the station. He stopped walking when they reached the wall between platforms nine and ten.

"Well, here you are. However, I don't see your platform anywhere. See you next summer," Uncle Vernon sneered as he walked away laughing.

Now, Ari knew better than to panic. She had known since she first saw her ticket that Professor Snape had forgot some information. She stood next to the wall and waited to see if she could see somebody that looked like they were on their way to Hogwarts.

When it was half to eleven, a family of red-heads came into sight, and they were approaching the wall and Ari. Ari stood to the side to watch them. She didn't want to ask them about the platform until she knew for certain that they were heading to platform 9 3/4. These facts though were very quickly satisfied.

"Okay, so what is the platform number?" the plump woman asked. She appeared to be the mum of the five children that were with her.

"Platform 9 3/4, mum. Why do you ask that every year?" one of the two twins asked.

"Yeah, mum. We have all known since Bill started going or at least by his 3rd year," the second twin responded.

The mum ignored these questions, "You go first Percy, and be quick we are running out of time."

The oldest boy ran straight at the wall and just as Ari thought he was going to crash he vanished. Ari was surprised and decided to wait to see if what she had seen was correct.

"Fred, George, you two go next. Quickly," the mom directed while looking around to make sure none of the people in the station were watching.

The two twins then marched like they had all the time in the world up to the wall. Ari had to resist the urge to laugh. She could tell that the twins were a laugh. After they vanished, Ari decided that she needed to ask for help no matter how uncomfortable it made her. She walked up to the mum just as the fourth son was getting ready to walk towards the wall.

"Excuse me," Ari stated to get their attention.

"Yes, dear?"

"Can you tell me how to-" Ari started while pointing to the wall.

"Do you need to know how to get onto the platform?" the mum questioned, seeming to know what Ari needed.

Ari nodded, glad that the woman didn't find it weird that she didn't know what to do.

"It's alright, dear. Everybody has trouble the first time. Now, just walk straight at the wall, without stopping. If you are nervous, I recommend running so that you are not tempted to stop. Go on ahead of us, before Ron."

"Thank you."

Ari lined her trolley up with the wall and began to run full speed at the wall. She closed her eyes as she got close, she didn't want to see the wall if she did wind up hitting it. However, the impact never came. The next time that she opened her eyes, she was looking at a scarlet red train and a sign that read "Platform 9 3/4." She had made it onto the platform.

Ari made her way over to a train car that was half-way down the train and lifted her trunk through the door. She proceeded to walk down the car until she found an empty compartment. Upon entering with her trunk, Ari knew that it was going to be a pain to get her trunk up onto the shelf. She attempted the first time and promptly dropped it on her foot. After letting out a few of Uncle Vernon's choicest words for such occasions, Ari decided she was just going to leave it on the floor.

"Hey, do you need some help with that?" one of the red-headed twins asked as he approached Ari.

"Yeah, it would be awesome. But if you can't, I'll just leave it here, it's fine."

"Don't worry, we can get it up there. Hey, George! Come over here a sec."

"Yeah! What do y'a need?" the twin named George questioned as he ran over at the call of his twin.

"Help me lift her trunk onto the shelf. She's already dropped it on her foot once."

Together the three of them lifted the trunk onto the shelf. As Ari was wiping her bangs out of her eyes, the scar on her forehead came into view. The twins eyes widened in realization of who they had just assisted.

"Umm-"

"Are you-"

"I think she might be-"

"But what are the chances-"

"Umm, what are you guys talking about?"

"Are you her?" Fred asked.

"Who?"

"Ari Potter," George answered.

"Yeah. That's me."

"Sweet!" the twins exclaimed.

"Fred! George! Where are you?" the mum from earlier called out.

"Gotta go," they said together as they ran off to meet up with the rest of their family.

With the twins gone, Ari sat down and got comfortable in her car. She was not expecting for anybody to join her, but she hoped that maybe she had just made some friends. She looked out her window and noticed that the family of red-heads were there. The one called Ron was having his nose rubbed by his mom. While that was obvious social suicide, Ari wished that she had a mum that would fuss over her like Ron's. Heck, she wished she had parents period. Pushing those thoughts away, she listened in on the conversation. The twins were just running up to the rest.

"Hey, mum! Guess who we just met," Fred exclaimed.

"Who did you meet Fred?"

"We met Ari Potter."

" _The_ Ari Potter. She has the scar and everything."

"She was the girl we saw standing next to the barrier."

"Oh, no wonder she was all alone," The mum muttered before turning on her twin sons. "I don't want you two pranking her. She will have enough trouble getting everybody to treat her normally without them laughing at her."

The twins held their hands up in a sign of surrender.

"Don't worry, mum."

"Yeah, we know there is a time and place for a prank."

"Now all of you behave. Fred, George I don't want any letters this year about you flooding the potions lab or putting glue on the school brooms again."

"Yes, mum," the twins chorused. Ari could tell, however, that they were pranksters and trouble makers and that they would not be following through with that.

"Oh, dear. Where's Percy?"

"Relax, mum, he's right there," Ron stated with obvious disdain.

It was easy to see why. The oldest brother was strutting up to his family like an overly cocky peacock and displaying a badge on his chest like he had just been named Prime Minister.

"Good, good. Now do you all have everything?"

"Yes, mum."

"You boys will watch out for Ron, right?"

"Don't worry mum-"

"Little Ronnie is safe with us."

Ari was now certain that she was going to have to get used to the twins speaking for each other or speaking as one. Oh joy.

"Why does that not reassure me?" the mum muttered.

As though sensing her distress, the oldest son piped up, "Don't worry mom, _I_ will watch out for Ron and make sure the twins behave. I have to go. The prefects have a meeting before we perform our duties, and I don't want to be late."

He walked off. Just then, the train's whistle blew, and all the students began making a mad dash for the doors. The parents on the platform were crying, and once again, Ari felt extremely lonely. It wasn't long before the train whistled, signaling that it was time to leave. All of the students rushed to board the train as parents clamoured to say final goodbyes and give last minute advice. Ari ducked back from the window as the Weasley children began to board the train. Then, the train began to pull away, and Ari believed that she was off to a better life than the one she was leaving behind. She had to believe that for her sanity.

After a few minutes of watching the train station fall into the background, Ari decided to make herself comfortable. She was not expecting anybody to join her, and that, of course, was when the door to her compartment opened. The twins entered with their younger brother standing behind them.

"Hey, Ari. We never got to introduce ourselves. I am Fred, this guy who looks like me but is less handsome is George and the littler brother behind us is Ron," Fred introduced.

"Hi," Ari responded, looking at Ron.

"Well, we're off. Gotta find Lee and plan the welcome back festivities," George said as they left the compartment.

Ron watched his brothers leave and looked around uncertainly. Ari finally decided to end the awkwardness for both of their sakes.

"Do you want to sit down and join me?"

"You don't mind?" Ron questioned looking awed.

"Of course not. Why would I?"

"Because you're Ari Potter. What would ya want to do with someone like me?"

Ari rolled her eyes. Seriously, she just wanted a friend. Now, to make Ron understand that.

"Ok, let's get a one thing clear. I am not an egotistical person just because of something that happened when I was one and can't even remember happening. Now sit down before I make you sit down."

Ron sat down. The compartment was silent until Ari finally got fed up. Obviously, she was going to have to get Ron used to being around her. She just hoped that not everybody was like this or she was probably going to go nuts before the end of the first week of classes. Bad thing was, she wasn't used to being around people either, but the silence was getting to her.

"So, are Percy, Fred, George and the little girl your only siblings?" Ari decided on a safe topic. Hopefully he would take over the conversation.

"No, I am number six out of seven. I have two more brothers. Charlie works in Romania taming and breeding dragons. Bill is the oldest, and he does something for Gringotts. He can't really tell us what he does. Mom hates both their jobs because they are away from home most of the time."

"I wish I had siblings, but all I have is my cousin."

"Aren't you spoiled though?"

Ari snorted, "Nope, that would be my cousin. I'm mostly left to myself. I mean, I'm given what I need, of course, but my cousin is given everything he _wants_."

Ari hoped that he didn't question it any further. She really didn't want to have to lie too much about her home life to someone that she thought might be a potential friend. Lucky for her, Ron didn't question it. They continued to talk about interests and hobbies. Of course, the first one that Ron brought up, Ari had no clue what it was, and it sounded like a weird disease.

"So who's your Quidditch team?"

"Quidditch?"

"Oh, right. You were muggle-raised. Ok, so Quidditch is only the best magical sport around. It is played on brooms, and-" Ron began to explain in great details the fine points of Quidditch. Ari just wished he would explain the basics and leave it at that.

The discussion of Quidditch lasted for about half an hour until someone that Ari actually recognized entered their compartment, and she was happy to see him.

"Hey Ari. Did you enjoy the rest of your summer?" Draco Malfoy questioned as he entered the compartment.

"It wasn't too bad. How about yours?"

"Could have been worse. I was excited to leave though."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

Ron watched the conversation before him with his mouth open and confusion written across his face. He had grown up hearing about the Malfoys, and he knew that they were bad news. Therefore, he was surprised to see Malfoy and Ari talking like old friends.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"I can talk to a friend if I want to Weasley."

"Yeah, but you'll find no friend here."

"Really, because I think that Ari is one. Aren't you, Ari?"

Ari really didn't want to be brought into the middle of an argument but the look on Draco's face said that he wanted an answer.

"Ron, Draco is my friend. Why are you acting like this?"

"You can't be his friend, Ari. He's being raised to follow in his daddy's footsteps. You know that his dad was a Death Eater. You can't trust him."

Ari flinched a bit at his tone but neither boy noticed; they were too busy glaring at each other.

"Wait - a Death what?"

"Yeah, that's right, Weasley, my dad is a big old bad Death Eater, and I am following right in his footsteps. I am not even bothering to become my own person," Draco said sardonically.

"See he even admits it!"

"You are so oblivious. Have you never heard of sarcasm? Surely with the twins as your brothers you would at least know the concept."

"Is anybody going to answer my question?" Ari asked quietly. She was, of course, ignored.

"Don't you _dare_ bring my brothers into this, you slimy snake."

"Guess not," Ari sighed. She was used to being ignored by her family; however, she had hoped that her new friends wouldn't treat her like that.

"You know that I'm not a snake yet. We haven't been sorted."

"So, you are as good as one," Ron argued weakly.

"You know, ignoring somebody in most societies is considered inconsiderate - not to mention rude," Ari said in a vague tone. She really just wanted them to stop fighting.

"You know just because my father was a follower of You-Know-Who doesn't mean that I am going to be one," Draco pointed out.

"But apparently you two boys are too busy arguing with each other to care about the third person in the compartment."

"Yeah, right," Ron scoffed.

"Are you a muggle loving, eklectricity obsessed lunny just because your father is one?" Draco asked the read-head.

"Electricity," Ari corrected quietly. She figured the rule about not correcting adults didn't apply to kids her own age.

"No, and don't make fun of my father."

"Then what makes you think that I have to be a dark wizard, You-know-who following Death Eater like my father?"

"Still wondering what that is..." Ari half-sang.

"Because you are," Ron said childishly.

"And still not finding out what that means," she said, dropping her head into her hands.

"You're nuts," Draco said truthfully.

"I THINK YOU'RE BOTH NUTS," Ari bellowed finally fed up with the argument. She then realized what she had done and paled. She then realized that maybe this would stop the arguing at least for a bit.

"What do you mean?" the boys asked together

"Now you two are listening?!" Ari asked incredulously. However, she wasn't yelling anymore.

"What do you mean? You didn't say anything," Ron stated. Draco rolled his eyes.

That set her off.

"Okay, let's get a few things straight since I have both of your attentions. First, Ron, just because Draco's dad is a Death Eater does not mean that Draco is. Draco is his own person. Second, Draco, lay off the cracks at Ron's family. They did nothing to you. If your fight is with Ron, then keep it with Ron. Now finally, BOTH OF YOU SIT DOWN AND QUIT ARGUING LIKE THREE YEAR OLDS. ALSO, THE NEXT TIME YOU TWO IGNORE ME, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU REGRET IT."

Both of the boys promptly sat down as they were ordered and nodded their heads mutely. They both knew better than to get on the bad side of a pissed off woman/girl. Ari knew that she would probably never follow through with her threat; however, she was happy that they were done yelling at each other.

"Now, somebody please answer my question,"

"What question?" Ron asked hesitantly.

Ari just rolled her eyes, "What is a Death Eater?"

"A Death Eater is a dark magic user. That is the name given to You-Know-Who's followers. They did the acts of terror and horror that the last war became known for. Many were placed in Azkaban; however, there are some that still roam free," Draco explained to Ari as simply as he could.

"Among those that are believed to be freed Death Eaters are Lord Malfoy, Lord Nott, Lord Crabbe, Lord Goyle, and Walden Macnair. Many however went to jail such as the Lestranges, Black, Dolohov, Rookwood, Mulciber, and Travers. Nobody knows how many others are still walking around, and nobody really likes to talk about it," Ron added on. Draco was actually impressed with how much Ron knew.

"Alright, what's Azkaban?"

"Geez- you really were muggle-raised. Azkaban is the wizarding prison. It's inescapable," Draco explained.

"Well okay, then. Now can you two agree to a truce? At least attempt to get along."

"Maybe."

"I don't know."

"Just agree to disagree."

"Well, what do you think Weasel?"

"It might work Ferret."

"Twit."

"Git."

"Prat."

"Brat."

"Alright Dr. Seuss."

"Huh?" both boys looked at her with expressions of absolute confusion.

Ari couldn't help but giggle at the expressions and shook her head, "Never mind, muggle children's book author."

With the arguing done, for now, and both boys agreeing to be at least try being civil towards one another, the train ride began to go a bit smoother. The snack cart lady came by and between Ari and Draco the three of them had enough snacks. Ron's mother had made her children sandwiches, but because of all the different preferences, she understandably got some of the orders mixed up. Ron wound up with Percy's tuna sandwiches and there was no telling where his ham ones were. So, Ari and Draco shared their snacks with him, and the sandwiches were pushed under the seat and forgotten about.

The three of them were in the middle of breaking into a candy called chocolate frogs when a girl with brown bushy hair came in with a timid, chubby boy.

"Have any of you seen a toad? Neville here lost him, and we are asking everybody if they have seen him," the girl questioned looking all of them in the eye.

Ari stood up and spoke for the group hoping to make a couple more friends, "None of us have been outside of the compartment, and there hasn't been a toad in here. My name's Ari, by the way, and this is Draco and Ron."

"Oh, sorry, my name is Hermione, and this is Neville. I am a muggle-born and have learned all of my textbooks by heart. Of course, I hope that it is enough. I didn't actually try any of the spells though because Professor McGonagall told me that magic was not allowed outside of school. She did encourage me though to take a look at my books. I don't know how we are going to be sorted. All the upper years that I have asked have told me different stories. So what about you? Neville tells me that he has been around magic his whole life."

The three of them looked at each other shocked. Never before had they met anybody that could say so much in one breath. Neville was chuckling under his breath. Based on their expressions, he was guessing that Ari, Ron, and Draco were having the same reaction that he had had. Ari was certain that Hermione was going to have difficulty making friends unless she toned it down and stopped acting like a know-it-all.

"Well, I am classified as muggle-raised, and Draco and Ron are… umm… what are you classified as?"

"Purebloods. Weasley and I are classified as purebloods."

Ari nodded remembering that Draco had mentioned that in Diagon Alley.

"Wow! So you two must know all about magic!"

"Just because we grew up around magic does not mean that we know everything. I mean we probably know or will understand a bit more, but magic-raised don't really have that big of an advantage over the muggle-raised," Draco explained.

"Oh, wow. Anyway, come on, Neville, we need to go find Trevor."

With that, both Hermione and Neville left to go find the escape artist of a toad that went by the name of Trevor. Ari, Draco, and Ron went back to their chocolate frogs. Ari jumped a foot in the air when the frog jumped out of the wrapper and out the window. While Ron and Draco laughed at her expense, Ari looked inside the wrapper and found the card that they boys had told her about. The card was Albus Dumbledore and read the following:

 **Albus Dumbledore**

 **Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, he is most famous for his defeat of Grindelwald in 1945. He is also well known for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work with the alchemist Nicolas Flamel. He is currently the headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

"Ari, whatcha get?" Ron asked through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Umm… Dumbledore."

"Nice first pick, here - I already have seven of this one," Ron said and handed her Wendelin the Weird.

"Yeah, you can have this one too." Draco handed Ari the card that he had just pulled, Agrippa.

Ron went wide-eyed once he saw it and tried everything to get Ari to trade the card.

"Pleeeeeeease. He is one of the few that I don't have. I don't have any money but I have Scabbers," he begged holding out his pet rat. Scabbers looked like he had seen better days. "You can have Scabbers. Just please trade me the card."

Draco was laughing his head off, and Ari was feeling extremely uncomfortable. Ron had grabbed onto the hems of Ari's shirt in the middle of his begging. Ari gave him the card to get him to stop begging and to get him to back off. Ron tried to give Ari Scabbers but Ari said "Yeah- no. Let's just say you owe me."

The boys were getting ready to leave so that Ari could change when a girl and two muscular boys walked into the compartment. Ari was starting to wonder if this compartment was Grand Central Station or something with all the traffic going in and out of it.

The girl that walked in was pug faced and had her nose so high up in the air that Ari felt it was a miracle that she could see where she was going. Her hair was stringy and made Ari grateful for her's even though it never seemed to want to be cut and was now down past the bottom of her back. The girl looked around the compartment, and her eyes narrowed dangerously upon landing on Draco. Draco's eyes widened. Ari knew that something was about to go down.

"My name is Pansy Parkinson. Only daughter and child to Lord and Lady Parkinson. One of the few remaining pureblood families left in the Magical World. Rumors on the train say that Ari Potter is in this compartment. And due to the fact that the there is only one girl in this compartment with a blood traitor and someone who is on his way to becoming a blood traitor, I am going to say that you must be Ari Potter."

Ari took a deep breath. This girl seriously reminded her of Dudley. She decided to try the diplomatic approach.

"My name is Ari Potter, Miss Parkinson, and you may leave. We were just about to get ready to arrive."

Ari was trying her best to remember what she had read in the book on etiquette and culture. She wanted Pansy out, and she wanted her out now. However, she had to be careful about how she went about it. She knew that if she went about it the wrong way she would wind up on the bad side of all or the majority of the wizarding aristocracy. The looks that Draco was sending her told her to be extremely cautious.

"Well, Miss Potter, I am here to offer an alliance. I am one of the elite students that can get and do anything."

"Oh, and let me guess these two muscle heads are your diplomatic peacemakers?" Ari inquired letting her sarcastic side come out a bit.

"No, this is Crabbe and Goyle. They are the sons of Lord Crabbe and Lord Goyle."

"Miss Parkinson, while I would love nothing more than to enter into an alliance with you, I cannot."

"And why not?"

"Because you have already instigated a feud with me by insulting my friends when you first entered the room. Now, unless you wish for this feud to escalate past what it already is, and in that case, I will have to send an official letter to your family, I recommend you leave. Now."

"You will be sorry for this, Potter," Pansy sneered, all formality and politeness abandoned. "The only way you would have been accepted and gone far in the wizarding world was if you accepted my friendship. You have made a dangerous enemy this day."

With that, Pansy turned on her heels and strutted out of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle followed right behind her like two lost puppies.

Once the three were out of sight, Draco turned to Ari, "How on earth did you do that?! I thought you were raised by muggles!"

"I was, but I thought that it might be helpful to buy a book on wizarding etiquette and culture. It had about five chapters on wizarding aristocracy, how to handle diplomatic and alliance situations and how to behave."

"Well, that was a great decision. You handled that situation almost flawlessly. However, you are now in a feud with the heiress of one of the most influential wizarding families."

"I know. I am just glad that she left before I had to fulfill my threat. Now, can we go back to getting changed?"

The two boys left the compartment, and Ari changed into her uniform. She had difficulty with the tie and thought that having an undershirt, sweater, robe, and cloak was a layer too many. She also didn't see the hat lasting too long because it had really no purpose and was just in the way. Once she was certain that she had it on properly, she walked outside and waited for the boys to finish changing. The three continued to talk until the train came to a halt.

"All students depart. Please leave your bags, trunks and pets. They will be taken up separately."

"Here we go," Draco said.

"Let's go see what Hogwarts is like," Ron encouraged.

'It can't be worse than the Dursley's,' Ari thought.

The three departed the train with the other students. And headed towards a voice that was calling for first years. The voice belonged to a giant man with a grisly black beard and matching black hair.

"Hello there, Ari. Been long time since I 'ave seen ya. Last time yeh was jus' a baby."

"Umm...do I know you, sir?" Ari questioned taking a giant step back. Draco and Ron were standing beside her, looking nervous for their friend.

"Ya know me. My name is Rubeus Hagrid. I was there when ya was taken from the house of yer mom and dad. I took yeh to yer relatives."

"Oh, ok."

Ari still didn't recognize the man, but she decided she would take his word for it. He seemed like a very nice man.

"Alright, firs' years, follow me."

Hagrid led the nervous first years down the path to the lake. There were about twenty boats waiting for them.

"Three to a boat."

Draco, Ron, and Ari climbed into a boat together. Hermione and Neville were in a boat with a small sandy-haired boy. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were in another boat, and Pansy was glaring right at Ari. Once everybody was in a boat, the wooden watercrafts took off across the lake.

Ari got a glimpse of a gorgeous castle. There were four tall towers with numerous smaller ones, and it looked like what one would see in pictures of medieval castles.

"Heads down," Hagrid called and everybody lowered their heads before the boats entered into a cave. Hermione pushed Neville's head down before he was knocked into the lake.

The boats came to a stop, and Hagrid led the trembling first years up the path to the doors of the castle. The closer that they had got, the more nervous Ari got. She knew that the others were nervous as well. Hagrid knocked on the doors, and they opened. The first years walked inside and got their first glimpses of the inside of Hogwarts.

 **xXx**


	7. Chapter 6

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **Chapter 6**

The first years were brought to a halt inside the Entrance Hall. Ari looked around, in awe of it all. She had never been inside a castle before. To their right was a set of huge doors, beyond which Ari could hear hundreds of voices muttering in excitement. She guessed that the rest of the school was in there.

Standing at the bottom of a magnificent staircase was a stern looking woman in emerald green robes. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, and she looked as though she didn't smile often. Ari knew instantly that this was not somebody you would want to anger. The lady looked at her for a moment before addressing Hagrid.

"You may head inside, Hagrid."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall."

'So, she's a professor,' Ari thought. 'I wonder what she teaches.'

"Follow me, please."

The professor led them to a side chamber that had them feeling like sardines. Ari had to take several deep breaths - she didn't do well in small, enclosed spaces or having people touch her. Draco looked at her in concern and hoped that she would be alright. He moved to try and block Ari from the majority of the crowd and it seemed to help a little bit.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few minutes, you will enter into the Great Hall and join your classmates. However, first you must be sorted into one of the four houses. The houses are named after the founders of Hogwarts and are thus called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its strengths and each house has its weaknesses. While you are here, your house will act as your family. You will gain points for achievements and lose points for rule violations. The house that has the most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup. Wait here until I return for you."

Professor McGonagall left, and the first years began to talk amongst each other excitedly. Ari turned to Draco and Ron; she was still extremely pale.

"Ari, are you ok?" Draco questioned.

"Yeah, I just don't like small spaces."

"Oh, ok."

"So, do either of you know how they sort us?"

"No, but Fred and George said it hurts real bad. Of course, you can't really believe much of what they say."

Draco smirked

"You know, don't you Draco?" Ari questioned, noticing the smirk.

"Yeah, my dad told me so that I wouldn't act like a fool at the ceremony. Trust me though, it isn't that bad. Weasel, as you said, you shouldn't believe your brothers."

"Don't call me Weasel, Ferret."

"I am not a ferret. How did you even come up with that name?"

"You look like a ferret, Ferret."

"At least the name Weasel makes sense."

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

Both boys turned and looked at Ari.

"It is really not an arguing point. I don't really care what you call one another as long as you two start to get along. I will not be caught in the middle of your arguments for the next seven years."

"You two really should listen to her. You don't want to get your houses in trouble already for fighting before classes even start," Hermione put in as she walked over to join the group. Neville was following right behind her.

"Hi, Hermione. Hey, Neville. Did you find Trevor?" Ari asked.

"Yeah, he wound up in the snack car and fell asleep between the chocolate frogs and boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Jelly Beans." Neville responded with a chuckle.

The kids laughed at that.

"So, do any of you know how they are going to sort us? As I said earlier, I have memorized all of our books for this year, but I wonder which spell we will need," Hermione pondered.

"At least you would have an idea of what to do. None of the rest of us have swallowed our textbooks," Ron stated with a scowl.

Hermione looked hurt, and Ari had a feeling that those two would be butting heads quite frequently in the years to come. Oh joy.

"I honestly hope we don't need to know any. It wouldn't make sense seeing as how we haven't had any schooling yet on how to properly do magic," Ari responded with Neville and Ron agreeing with her.

"Apparently the only person who knows is Ferret, and he isn't saying anything."

"Of course not, where's the fun in that?"

"Let's just agree to continue hanging out even if we are in separate houses," Ari reasoned, trying to end the argument before it could begin.

Neville, Ron, Hermione, and Draco all agreed to this. Ari was happy, school hadn't even started yet, and already she had friends. Just then, Professor McGonagall came in.

"Follow me please, we are ready for you."

The students followed her out in no real order. They were led to and through the large doors that Ari had spotted earlier. Inside, was the Great Hall. Ari tried to take in everything that was before her. She could not see the ceiling for how high it was. From what she had read in _Hogwarts, A History_ , it was charmed to look like the night sky. She thought that it looked really pretty. The candles that were floating it the air looked as though they were floating away in the night sky. There were four long tables that ran the length of the room. Above each of these tables was a colored banner that had different colors and a different animal. The one on the far right was yellow and black and depicted a badger. The one on the inner right was green and silver and depicted a snake. The banner on the far left was blue and bronze and depicted a raven. The final table on the inner left was red and gold and depicted a lion.

Professor McGonagall brought them to a halt in front of a table on a raised platform. Seated at this table were about 20 to 25 adults who Ari guessed must be the teachers. Ari recognized Professor Snape sitting next to a wizened old wizard who was seated in the middle of the table. Professor McGonagall brought forward a stool and an old hat. Ari was just thinking that Aunt Petunia would have burned the thing when it began to sing:

 **Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**

 **But don't judge on what you see,**

 **I'll eat myself if you can find**

 **A smarter hat than me,**

 **You can keep your bowlers black,**

 **your top hats sleek and tall,**

 **For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**

 **And I can cap them all.**

 **There's nothing hidden in your head**

 **The Sorting Hat can't see,**

 **So try me on and I will tell you**

 **Where you ought to be.**

 **You might belong in Gryffindor,**

 **Where dwell the brave at heart,**

 **Their daring, nerve, and chivalry**

 **Set Gryffindors apart;**

 **you might belong in Hufflepuff,**

 **Where they are just and loyal,**

 **Those patient Hufflepuffs are true**

 **And unafraid of toil;**

 **Of yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**

 **If you've a ready mind,**

 **Where those of wit and learning,**

 **Will always find their kind;**

 **Or perhaps in Slytherin**

 **You'll make your real friends,**

 **Those cunning folk use any means**

 **To achieve their ends.**

 **So put me on! Don't be afraid!**

 **And don't get in a flap!**

 **You're in safe hands (though I have none)**

 **For I'm a Thinking Cap!**

Ari applauded with the rest of the school and was greatly relieved to find out she just had to try on a hat. She looked over at Draco who was silently laughing at her and Hermione's shocked expressions. Before either one of them could say anything, Professor McGonagall stepped forward.

"You will step forward when I call your name. You will then sit on the stool, and I will place the hat on your head. The hat will then place you into your house."

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A kind-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled forward. She sat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Was shouted a minute later.

The table on the far right cheered, and Hannah went over to join them. That is when Ari noticed that there was a ghost at each table and many more floating around.

"Baker, Faye!"

An energetic little girl bounced right up to the stool and plopped herself down. While sitting, she was bouncing around so much that Professor McGonagall had trouble putting the hat on her head. She continued bouncing until that hat, in an annoyed voice, announced:

"RAVENCLAW!"

The hall was in a stunned silence. The Ravenclaw table looked as though it had been force fed sauerkraut. None looked pleased and all looked stunned. Ari looked around the table and saw someone that looked like an older version of Faye. She had her head down and was shaking it. Professor McGonagall, sensing the discomfort of a fourth of the room decided to carry on .

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Susan ran over and sat next to Hannah. From what Ari could tell, they had probably met on the train and become friends.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table on the far left clapped and cheered this time.

Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor. Ron's twin brothers whistled loudly as the table on the inner left erupted into cheers. It was obvious that this was the loudest house of the four. But, it also looked to be the house that also had the most fun.

Millicent Bulstrode went to Slytherin table. Ari looked over at this house, and noticed a lot of sullen faces. She could see that many had a gleam in their eyes that Ari associated with Uncle Vernon, the look of enjoying causing pain. However, others just looked sad like they wished they could be seen for themselves and not the image that their house had earned over the years.

Ari was definitely getting nervous now. Draco and Ron must have both realized that something was wrong, because they both grabbed one of her hands and squeezed. She would ask later what gave her away.

By now they were into the F's. Michael Corner and Stephen Cornfoot joined Ravenclaw. While, Vincent Crabbe and Tracey Davis joined Slytherin.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Ari by now realized that the amount of time it took for the hat to decide where to place a person varied. Some were placed instantly and others took a few minutes.

"Finnigan, Seamus!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

Ari listened eagerly, waiting to hear where her friend would be going. Hermione was the first of their little group of friends to be sorted, and while some argued too much (Ron and Draco and Hermione and Ron), some had prejudices (Draco and Ron) and others needed to gain some confidence (Neville and herself), Ari still saw this group as her new friends.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ari clapped along with the lions. She was happy for Hermione. Draco had already explained that more than likely Hermione would not be in Slytherin just because of the beliefs that the house was founded on.

Wayne Hopkins and Megan Jones were placed in Hufflepuff. Anthony Goldstein and Su Li joined Ravenclaw. Finally, Gregory Goyle and Daphne Greengrass were placed in Slytherin.

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Neville stumbled forward tripping over his own two feet. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head, and they waited for three minutes before:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Draco, Ron, and Ari were not surprised. Draco had explained the houses on the train, and they had all taken guesses of where they would be placed. The guesses were: Draco- Slytherin, Hermione- Ravenclaw, Ron- Gryffindor, Neville- Hufflepuff, and Ari- Gryffindor. While Hermione had been placed in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw, they could see that choice too because she had gone up and down the train ordering everybody, even the seventh years, to tell her the truth if they had seen Trevor.

Ernie MacMillion was placed in Hufflepuff.

Ari was starting to wonder if there was a quicker way to do this. Her feet were sore, and she wanted to eat and go to bed. She made eye contact with Professor Snape who gave her a small nod to acknowledge her.

"Malfoy, Draco."

Draco strutted forward like an overly stuffed peacock, and Ari couldn't help but giggle. Her friend might be less prejudiced than his father, but he had an ego to match; almost.

The hat was barely on his head when it placed Draco.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Ari clapped for her friend, but was one of the few who did.

Lucy Moon was the first to come close to a hat stall at almost four minutes. However, she was finally sorted into Gryffindor. Theodore Nott was sorted into Slytherin.

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

Pansy strutted forward with her nose in the air. Ari rolled her eyes. Pansy sent a glare towards Ari as the hat slid down over her eyes.

"SLYTHERIN!"

As soon as the hat made its choice known, Pansy jumped down and walked over to the Slytherin table. Pansy sat down right next to Draco who couldn't have looked more displeased if he had tried.

Padma Patil was placed in Ravenclaw, while her twin, Parvati, was sorted into Gryffindor. Sally-Anne Perks was placed into Hufflepuff.

"Potter, Ari!"

Whispers and mutters broke out around the hall. Nobody had said a word during the other sortings, but now, it was like a constant buzzing had broken out.

Ari walked forward and sat on the stool. As the hat went over her eyes, Ari noticed a few things. First, she noticed that her friends were smiling at her encouragingly. She noticed Pansy sneering at her. Finally, she noticed half of the hall was trying to get a look at her.

 _"Hmmm, a very interesting mind you have young Potter."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"I mean you have a mind very much like Lady Wisdom. This of course is no surprise since you are her offspring."_

"You know who my parents are?"

 _"Of course, it is all here. Daughter of Lady Wisdom and Lord Spontaneity. You are definitely unique."_

"What on earth are you talking about? I think you have been sitting in the Headmaster's office for too long."

The hat chuckled.

 _"That is of course possible. But those are definitely your parents."_

"Why are you talking in riddles? Can you just give me a straight answer?"

 _"I am a hat, child. Of course I could give you a straight answer, but where is the fun in that? I ask you. No, I much prefer talking in riddles. It makes you children think more."_

"Ok, now you are just being mean."

 _"I am only mean if you take what I am saying as being mean."_

"Whatever, just place me please."

" _Of course. On to the task at hand."_

"Can I be with my friends?"

 _"A Slytherin, a Gryffindor, and a Hufflepuff. I, of course, see you making many more friends. You are extremely loyal, but I believe you would drive the house of Hufflepuff insane. You are eager to prove yourself and ambitious to find out about your family, but I fear you would, during this time and age, be unwelcome in the house of Slytherin. That therefore leaves the house of your mother, Ravenclaw, or the house that fits your father, Gryffindor."_

"Do I get to choose?"

 _"Hahahahahaha! No. I get that pleasure. You do not get to take it from me because it is one of the few things that I get to do as a hat. And, I quite enjoy it. You have the bravery that makes a Gryffindor, but you love knowledge for knowledge. Oh, you would make your mother proud. I have decided."_

Ari waited for barely a second before the hat announced its decision to the hall as a whole.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The hall was silent for a moment before the table on the far left erupted into cheers. Ari walked over to join her housemates. She sat down next to the girl Faye. It looked as though she and her friends were going to have to come up with interesting ways to talk with one another.

The sorting continued once the commotion died down. Leanne Richardson and Zacharias Smith were the final Hufflepuffs. Dean Thomas was placed in Gryffindor. Lisa Turpin was a Ravenclaw.

"Weasley, Ron!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron's was as quick as Draco's, and his brothers welcomed him with great enthusiasm.

"Williams, Caillen!"

Ari watched as a one of the last two boys walked up to the stool. He didn't over react or act over excited. In fact, he almost looked bored.

"RAVENCLAW!"

He came over to the table and sat across from Ari.

"Williams, Keina!"

The girl that walked up looked exactly like Caillen. Ari knew they had to be twins and believed that if they were the same gender they would be identical.

"RAVENCLAW!"

She walked over to the table. However, instead of sitting next to her brother, she sat next to Ari.

The last boy to be sorted was Blaise Zabini, who went to Slytherin.

After the cheering died down, the wizened wizard stood up. He gained the entire room's attention.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Now, I know you are all dying to get on with our wonderful feast, but first, I have a few start of the term announcements. All students are warned that the corridor on the east side of the third floor is forbidden to all students. First years are advised, and some of our older students would do well to remember, that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden." Here he looked straight at Ron's twin brothers.

"Finally, Mr. Filch wishes for me to emphasize that there is to be no magic in the corridors in between classes. Now, enjoy the feast."

He clapped his hands together once and the tables were suddenly covered in plates and platters of food.

Ari's mouth began to water. Never before had she seen so much food at one time, let alone been allowed to eat it. There were pork chops, lamb chops, fried chicken, grilled chicken, roast chicken, roast beef and steak. There were mashed potatoes, baked potatoes and french fries. There were carrots, peas and broccoli. Overall, Ari didn't know what to get first. She did know that she shouldn't get a lot, however. Ari placed a chicken leg, some carrots and a baked potato on her plate. She then began to tune into the conversations around her.

"I can't believe you acted like that Faye! You were acting like you were five instead of eleven," said the girl that Ari had noticed was embarrassed earlier.

"What? I can't help that I was excited, Emily. I am still excited for that matter. Pass the peas, please. You really shouldn't judge people. First impressions are not everything. You should get to know somebody before you judge. Take for instance Ari here, we all know her as the-girl-who-lived. However, I bet you there is more to her than that and that she doesn't like all the attention she received earlier. Does anybody know what we will be learning first and when we get to go to bed and what time do we have to be up in the morning?" Faye said this all in one breathe. Ari had a feeling she was ADHD.

Emily, looking absolutely miserable, put her head down on the table. A redheaded boy sitting next to her rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort the distraught older sister.

Faye had accomplished one other thing with her speech. Everybody around them was now staring at Ari.

The boy of the twins, Caillen, if Ari remembered correctly, noticed Ari's discomfort at all the stares. He decided to give her some advice.

"We met Faye on the train. It is generally best just to nod, smile, and pretend to understand what she is saying."

"That would work fine, except for the fact that now everybody is staring."

"Well, then ask questions and start conversations with us. Make those that are staring see that you are just a normal person. You are going to have to because everybody here will see you as what they have been told you are throughout their childhood. You are going to have to get people to see past the rumors and myths."

"Thanks... ummm…?"

"Caillen. Caillen Williams," Ari shook Caillen's offered hand. "The girl on your left is my twin."

"Keina, right?"

"Yep."

"Thanks, I thought that was your name, but I didn't want to get it wrong just in case."

"I understand. No problem. So, why did your sorting take so long?"

"The hat decided it wanted to have a conversation without telling me anything. All the while, it was hinting that it knows stuff about my life that I don't. But, of course, it wouldn't tell me anything."

"Ouch, that sucks. However, I don't recall the hat ever doing that in the past." Emily commented. The redheaded boy had finally pulled her out of her depression.

Ari had now gained the attention of Emily and her friend, Faye, Keina, and of course Caillen. She hoped she was doing the right thing and decided she could try to make more friends in her house. Despite her ease at becoming friends with Draco, Ron, Neville, and Hermione, she was still extremely nervous, and thanks to the Dursleys, she had trust issues. She really hadn't revealed anything to the others. She had only told them that she lives with her muggle relatives, her relatives don't like her, and that all of her clothes were hand-me-downs.

"So, what exactly did the hat say?" the redheaded boy asked.

"Umm... nothing much that I understood. Something about a Lady Wisdom and Lord Spontaneity. I honestly don't know. I finally told it to place me, and it then decided that I belonged here."

"Well, we are glad to have you. My name is Alex Hale by the way. I am one of the prefects of Ravenclaw."

Ari shook Alex's hand. The rest decided that introductions were needed.

"My name is Emily Baker, and I am another prefect."

"My name is Caillen Williams, as I already stated."

The girl next to Ari then went, "My name is Keina Williams."

"I have a feeling that I don't need to introduce myself," Ari stated earning a chuckle from everybody. "However, for those who have been living in the muggle world or under a rock, I am Ari Potter."

"I am Faye Baker. I am Emily's younger sister. I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so happy to be here. Sis has been telling me everything ever since we found out that the weird stuff she did as a child was magic. Of course, then we figured that I was doing magic too. We weren't 100% sure though until I received my letter this summer. And then, I kept telling sis that I hope that I wind up in her house, and I did. She, of course, for some reason didn't want me in Ravenclaw. She said that I was probably a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff. She seemed quite eager not to have me in her house. The hat said, though, that if it put me in Hufflepuff, the house would more than likely attempt to break into the Headmaster's office to burn it. So, it put me in Ravenclaw. By the way, my name is Faye!"

Everybody looked slack jawed at the hyper little girl. Ari knew for certain now that this was going to be an interesting house to say the least. She looked over at Emily and noticed that she seemed to be asking the sky 'why' and then looking at the floor as though asking it to 'please just swallow me now.' Alex was once again comforting her.

By now, dessert had been served, and the table was clearing itself. The Headmaster stood up, and the hall went silent.

"Now that we are all stuffed with that wonderful feast, I have a few more announcements to make. All students who wish to try out for their house Quidditch teams are to report to their head of house or the quidditch captain by the end of the day on Friday. Everybody is also reminded that curfew for first and second years is eight o'clock; third, fourth, and fifth years nine o'clock; and sixth and seventh years ten o'clock. Now, everybody stand, pick your favorite tune and let's sing.

Ari noticed that the teachers' faces all of a sudden became very annoyed. Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and an animated ribbon appeared with the words on it. With that, the school sang.

 **Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts**

 **Teach us something please,**

 **Whether we be old and bald,**

 **Or young with scabby knees,**

 **Our heads could do with filling,**

 **With some interesting stuff,**

 **For now they're bare and full of air,**

 **Dead flies and bits of fluff,**

 **So teach us things worth knowing,**

 **Bring back what we've forgot,**

 **Just do your best, we'll do the rest,**

 **And learn until our brains all rot.**

Ari was one of the first to finish. She sang it to a song that she had heard one time at the music store in the mall. She had been allowed to go because Miss Figg was sick and couldn't take her. Dudley had wanted to go into the store, and Ari had decided to go and listen to some music while she could. A man had been singing it in the back of the store. When she asked what is was called. She was told it was called "Two-Faced Lovers." She had never been able to learn the words, but the tune was one of those to get stuck in one's head.

Ari was happy when she was done singing. She didn't like to draw attention to herself. She listened while the rest of the school finished their renditions of the school song, until finally, the last people singing were the Weasley twins. They were singing it to a slow funeral march. Kind of the opposite of what Ari, herself, had done. Whereas, she had wanted to finish as quickly as possible, they wanted to draw it out for as long as possible. The teachers breathed a sigh of relief once it was over, and Professor Dumbledore clapped most enthusiastically.

"Ahh, nothing is better than music. Now off to bed. Prefects lead the first years away."

Everybody began to get up and head to the doors as one. Older students were heard calling for the first years in all the confusion. The first years looked as though they didn't know where to go, it was all way too confusing.

"Come on Ari. Our prefects are over here," Caillen pulled her out of her observations and pointed towards two people that were gathering the first year Ravenclaws.

"FIRST YEAR RAVENCLAWS OVER HERE! Oh, for crying out loud! FIRST YEARS OVER HERE!" a blonde haired male was calling. He looked as though he was getting annoyed. Next to him, a brunette was chuckling at her partner's misfortunes.

"Honestly Trenton, You should know by now that there is going to be nothing but chaos the first night. That is why we assign the seventh year prefects to this. By now, the seventh years are used to controlling the chaos. Unfortunately, the other houses don't see it this way and assign the fifth year prefects. Anyways, FIRST YEARS OVER HERE PLEASE. Preferably before my partner decides that he wants to blow something up."

After the eleven Ravenclaw first years had gathered around the prefects, Trenton began to lead them swiftly through the crowds and out of the hall. The other prefect was following the group and making sure that there weren't any stragglers. Ari caught a glimpse of Hermione and Ron being led away by Ron's brother Percy. She made eye contact with Draco and nodded to him. He nodded back, and she knew they were all going to meet up tomorrow morning.

"Follow me, Ravenclaws. Keep up, I would like to get back to the tower sometime tonight."

"Please ignore my grumpy partner. He is not a people person."

The group came to a halt when they came near the first set of stairs. The stairs were moving.

"You will notice, no doubt, that the stairs are moving. Hogwarts is, of course, a magical school so this is only natural. If the stairs move while you are on them, hang on so that you don't fall off. Then, just wait a few minutes for them to change back to where they were. Better yet, just don't take forever going up and down the stairs, and you should have no reason to wait for the stairs to change back. But of course, that is too much to hope for from first years," the blonde advised in a monotone voice.

The group made its way up to the fifth floor. The stairs changed on them twice, and they had to wait for them to change back. One time, Faye got stuck on a separate staircase from the rest of the group when they suddenly moved. To say that Trenton was not happy would be an understatement.

The group was led up a long winding spiral staircase somewhere on the western side of Hogwarts. While the staircase had entrances to other parts of the castle, the prefects did not lead them through any of them. They made it to the top of the tower and there stood a wooden door. The only thing that was special about this door from what Ari could see was the metal knocker in the shape of an eagle. Trenton knocked once, and the first years jumped when the eagle spoke.

 _"You walk into a room with a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle and a fireplace. Which do you light first?"_

"In order to get into the common room, which is in the tower attached to the spiral staircase, you have to answer a riddle. The number of times you knock corresponds to the year you are. If you are unable to answer it, then you have to wait for someone to come who can. Now can anybody answer the riddle?" the girl prefect asked.

"The match," Faye answered. The door swung open.

"That means that you are correct. Now, everybody inside," Trenton stated.

They filed into the common room, and Ari instantly knew that this was a place that she could comfortably study. The room was a circle and was very open. There were couches and chairs spread methodically around the room with tables in the middle so that groups could study together. The ceiling was painted with constellations and was dome shaped to make it feel more open. There were blue hangings and maps spread throughout the room. There were also innumerable bookcases. On the other side of the room, Ari noticed that there was an entrance that seemed to lead to a private library for the Ravenclaw students.

"Ok, everybody gather around here please," the female prefect stated as she stood next to a marble statue of a woman.

"We will wait here for the others to arrive before we begin," Trenton added.

They waited a few more minutes before five more people arrived including Emily and Alex.

"Ok, welcome to Ravenclaw. Our head of house, Professor Flitwick, wanted to be here to meet you; however, he had to go solve an issue. Something about regurgitating toilets. Probably the Weasley twins' work. Anyway, my name is Gwen Reed, and I'm going to be one of your seventh year prefects this year. We're just going to quickly explain how Ravenclaw works before we send you on your way to bed. First though, let's introduce ourselves."

"I'm Trenton Raines, and I'm your other seventh year prefect."

"I'm Sivis Thompson, and I'm one of your sixth year prefects."

"Maia Young, sixth year."

"I'm Emily, and I am one of the fifth year prefects."

"Hi Sis."

Emily ignored Faye.

"Lastly, I am Alex, your other fifth year prefect."

"Now, all of us are available if you have any questions or concerns. You can also ask us for directions if you get lost. However, be warned, as prefects we are also allowed to hand out punishments within the house if we need to," Gwen warned.

"Here in Ravenclaw, we pride ourselves on being among the best students. We are obviously the more studious of the houses. That is why we have been granted a private library. If you cannot find a book here, you can find it in the main library. Now, class hours, from eight to dinner, are considered quiet hours. During this time, students who are up here are on free period and should therefore be studying to keep up on the homework. After dinner, until about eleven the common room is open for group studies. If you need help, this is the time to ask the upperclassmen. We are here to help you if you need it, but please bear in mind that we do have homework too. Finally, the curfew that the Headmaster mentioned is the time that you must be back in the tower by," Emily explained.

"Now during this time, we recommend you do study up here because the library tends to get busy with students from the other houses who actually care about their studies. Check out your books early in the day, and then you can have them up here and ready for you," Alex advised.

"Now, we have one more person to introduce you to," said Gwen, and a white haired girl stepped forward.

"My name is Serra Stone. While I am not one of your prefects, I do wish to welcome you to Hogwarts and more specifically to the house of Ravenclaw. I am this year's Quidditch captain. While first years are not normally allowed on the team, I just wanted to tell you that we are always looking for new recruits and for the cheering of our house at the games."

"Now, inside the library, there is a door. The staircase that is through that door leads to different floors of the tower that are the dormitories. Boys and girls switch every floor. You guys are lucky and you get last year's seventh year rooms. They are on the first and second floor down the stairs. Girls are on the first and boys are on the second. On this staircase we count floors from the top down. So the first floor is the floor right below the common room and so on. You will find that all of your belongings have already been brought to the tower. Breakfast is served at seven which gives you an hour to eat and get to your first class. Please try and be on time. Have a good evening," Trenton finished the speech.

By this time, all of the first years were tired and ready for bed. They walked past the statue and through the door to the staircase. The girls went through the door on the first floor and found the area that contained their belongings. The floor was divided into six separate smaller rooms. The rooms were what muggles referred to as semi-private. There was a central area if they all wanted to get together and hang out, and then, there were six doors that led to the sleeping areas. Each bed was placed in an alcove area and had a window above the bed. Inside the sleeping area was a wardrobe and a desk so that if the students wanted to study by themselves they could. There were also shelves on which to put their belongings. This would be their room for the next seven years.

The girls found their separate sleeping areas and went to sleep. Though Ari was nervous about what was to come, she fell asleep instantly.

 **xXx**


	8. Chapter 7

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 7**

Ari awoke the next morning confused as to where she was until she saw the blue walls, and then all the memories of the night before came back to her. She hoped she would be able to find Ron, Draco, Neville and Hermione at breakfast. She took a look at the clock beside her bed - she had bought it in Diagon Alley in a store that sold magically run radios and clocks - it read 6:30. She remembered that Trenton had told them breakfast was served at seven, so she decided it was probably time for her to start getting ready for the day. Ari climbed out of bed and grabbed her clothes out of the trunk. She took the time to make sure she had everything in her bag that she would need before she climbed the stairs leading to the common room. Once there, she spotted Alex and Emily. Ari knew it would do her absolutely no good to be running around the castle lost when she only had an hour to eat and get to class.

"Good morning, Emily. Good morning, Alex."

Emily didn't hear Ari because she was too preoccupied searching through her bag for something.

"Morning Ari. How did you sleep? Are you ready for classes today?" Alex questioned after turning around to see who had greeted him.

"I slept fine. I am a little nervous about classes seeing as how I don't exactly know what to expect."

"You will do fine as long as you have at least opened your books. Teachers tend to go easy the first couple of days, especially for the first years," Alex attempted to reassure Ari.

"Oh, ok. I was going to head down to breakfast, but-" Ari said, leaving the sentence hanging.

"You don't remember the way," Alex finished for her, "Don't worry everybody gets lost the first few days. Emily and I were about to head down ourselves. We can show you the way."

"Alex, are you ready?" Emily called. She had finished checking her bag for everything.

"Yeah, Em. We are going to help Ari find the great hall. Honestly, they really need to give some sort of map to the first years."

"Oh, alright. You excited about your classes, Ari?"

"Yep. What classes do first years take?"

"As a first year, the only classes you will take are those that are required. Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Potions, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy," Emily began to explain, "Once you hit your third year, you can choose electives from Muggle Studies, Arithmancy, Ancient Ruins, Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination. Only at the beginning of your sixth year can you finally drop the required classes depending on what you want to do in the future."

"How are the teachers?"

"Most are fine; however, don't attempt to mess around in Potions or Transfiguration. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall will not hesitate to take points away if you do. Professor Flitwick's class is a good place to talk as long as you make sure to work while you do. While you can get away with it, I would also recommend not messing around in Herbology. It's not that Professor Sprout is terribly strict or anything, but some of those plants can cause serious harm. Other than that the teachers are pretty much do your work and pay attention and you are fine," Alex reassured Ari.

"Do yourself a favor though and don't even bother with Divination," Alex advised.

"Why?"

"The subject is useless in most career paths, and the teacher is an obvious fraud."

"Ignore his attitude, Ari. He made the mistake of taking the course and sorely regretted it later. No Ravenclaw ever takes that class, or at least none get past the first class before transferring out."

While this whole conversation was going on, Ari made sure to pay attention to where they were going. She noticed that Emily and Alex weren't leading her down any of the secret passages that Trenton had led them through the night before- not that she remembered where any of them were. They stuck to the main hallways. And, while they were more busy, Ari was grateful. She could learn the secret passages and short cuts later. Right now, she just wanted to know where she was supposed to be ending up so that she could work her way from there. After walking for about ten minutes and being stared at by more people than was comfortable, they arrived at the Great Hall.

Any hope that Ari had of being able to be normal had officially been crushed. The stares in the halls had been creepy, but now as she walked into the Great Hall beside the two prefects, Ari got the feeling that they were expecting her to do a trick. She sat down as quickly as possible and began to fill a plate with food. Looking down the table she noted that Faye, Caillen and Keina were sitting further down the table. It looked as though Faye and Keina were becoming great friends, and Caillen just wanted to get away.

She noticed now that she was sitting in the midst of the prefects. It wasn't that she cared, she had just continued to follow Emily and Alex when they had sat down. Looking at the food around her, she knew she would love to actually be able to enjoy it; however, she knew she would not be able to eat as much as the others for a few days, if not weeks, because of how tiny her stomach was. She grabbed a muffin and a banana.

"Morning, Ari!" a voice exclaimed behind her.

Ari turned around to see that Hermione and Ron had decided to sit at the Gryffindor table right behind her. Hermione was grabbing books out of her bag while Ron was trying to shove as much food onto his plate as would fit. He then proceeded to shove as much of it into his mouth as he could get to fit.

"Morning, Hermione. Umm... Ron, I would take it easy; you don't want to choke."

"Im dng fin. Ou hv nned twory!" came Ron's response. Ari was able to get the gist of what he was trying to say.

"Ewwww! Don't you know better than to talk with food in your mouth? It is considered highly rude," a blonde girl squealed. Ari recognized her from the night before. She was one of the first first years to be sorted yesterday.

"Yeah, Weasel, show some sense of decorum. Nobody wants to see the food after it has been in your mouth," came a voice that could only belong to Draco. Ari turned around and sure enough the young Malfoy heir was heading their way. Ron sent a glare at Draco and continued to shovel food into his mouth.

"Morning, Draco!" Ari called as he came closer their tables and sat down next to her.

"Morning. So how's the Raven's nest?" Draco questioned as he began to make a plate of food.

The prefects sitting around them were looking at the group of first years weirdly. They had never seen a group of students from all four houses get along. What was even more weird was besides a jab and a glare, the Gryffindors and the Slytherin boy were not trying to kill each other. Looking at each other, they made a decision to keep an eye on the group of kids and make sure nothing bad came of them from trying to maintain their friendship. They would step in if the group turned on one another, which is what normally occurred.

"Awesome! I love all the books, the beds are comfy and there are plenty of places to study either privately or in a group. How is the Snake pit?"

"Comfortable. Professor Snape talked to us before we went to bed, and he explained how staying in Slytherin was going to work."

"Yeah, our prefects did the same thing. Professor Flitwick couldn't because he was taking care of something. I believe that Gwen said something about regurgitating toilets."

"Ok, that is gross. So, Hermione, since your mouth is the only one not shoved with food, how is the Lion's den?"

"Oh, I love it! Of course if it contained the books that Ari mentioned I would be all the more happy. Otherwise, it is quite comfortable. Does anybody have any ideas what classes are today? I didn't know so I just brought all my books with me."

"Just breath, umm... I'm sorry, I don't know your name," the prefect Maia said from down the table.

"Oh, sorry. My name is Hermione."

"Right then, Hermione, just relax. You really aren't going to need your books for today and probably tomorrow. All that the teachers are going to do is explain what the class is and what is expected. Teachers don't expect first years to have their books with them and to know when to expect their classes. The classes pretty much stay on the same day throughout all seven years. However, in your third year some of your free periods will be taken over by electives."

"That makes sense. So, when do we receive our schedules?"

"Professor McGonagall should be coming around soon with them for you."

Right as Maia said that, four teachers stood up and began to make their way down to the tables. Draco stood up abruptly and grabbed his bag.

"I need to go get my schedule. Meet up in the Entrance Hall, and we can quickly compare schedules." With that, he walked off towards the Slytherin table.

"Miss Potter," a high pitched squeaky voice called. Ari turned around to look towards the teachers' table but saw nobody. She looked over at Hermione who was gesturing downwards while trying not to laugh.

Ari looked down and saw a short teacher with pointy ears like the goblins at the bank. She realized that this must be Professor Flitwick.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, Professor."

"No problem, no problem. It happens all the time. Now, here is your schedule. Go to the classes under Tuesday today. When you finish eating, I would get moving."

"Yes, sir."

"Come on, Ari."

Hermione grabbed both Ari and Ron and started to drag them out of the Great Hall. Ari barely managed to grab her bag. She decided that fighting against being dragged wasn't going to help; in fact, it would probably make it so that she wound up on her face on the ground. So, she decided to walk at Hermione's pace. Outside the Great Hall, they met up with not only Draco but Neville as well.

"Hey, Nev!" Ari called out.

"Morning, Ari."

"Ok, let's compare schedules. We don't want to be late to our first classes," Hermione dictated.

"Professor Flitwick said to follow the Tuesday schedule since today is Tuesday."

The five of them all placed their schedules on the ground next to each other so that they could compare them all at the same time. As it turned out, some of the classes lined up and they had a lot of free periods. Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had potions together, Ravenclaws and Slytherins had defense together, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had herbology together, Gryffindors and Slytherins had herbology together, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had defense together, and Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had potions together.

"Don't get too used to the free periods. Apparently that is where the electives that we pick go come third year."

"How did you find that out?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I talked to Emily and Alex as they led me down to the Great Hall."

"Well it looks like we only have double classes together," Neville pointed out.

"Hey! Get a move on unless you want to be late!" Ron's older brother, Percy, the prefect yelled.

"Ok, so what do we have first?" Ron questioned.

"Neville, Draco you guys had better go. You guys have to get to potions. Ron, you and I need to head to History of Magic with Professor Binns. And Ari, you start off with a free period."

"NO FAIR!" Ron quipped.

With that, they all ran off to their individual classes. Ari decided that she didn't see a reason to go to Ravenclaw Tower just to have to leave again, so, she decided to take a walk until her first class at nine.

The day progressed quite smoothly from there. Professor Flitwick took attendance and upon arriving at Ari's name, he toppled off his pile of books and out of sight. The class had a good laugh but then groaned when they found out that the first month would be filled with mostly theory and very little practical. They were given a safety lesson in Herbology. Ari and Neville decided to be partners in that class. It turned out Neville had a knack for plants and took care of a greenhouse when he was a kid. Defense Against the Dark Arts was a joke. Ari had known when she met him in Diagon Alley that his classes would be annoying; however, she had had no idea exactly how annoying Professor Quirrell's stutter was going to be.

Draco passed Ari a note about 20 minutes into attempting to translate what their professor was saying.

 _'If I have to listen to this the entire year, I think I am going to lose it!'_

'I know what you mean. I don't see how we are supposed to learn a thing from a guy that is afraid of his own shadow. Do you smell something funny?'

 _'Yeah, it's him. What ever he has under that turbin stinks.'_

'I know. Hopefully he washes it soon. That stench is enough to put anybody off their-'

"M-M-Miss P-Potter. C-Can you answer the qu-question?" Professor Quirrell's voice pulled her away from what she was writing to Draco.

"Sorry Professor, I didn't quite understand the question. Could you please repeat it?'

'W-W-What are the different types of sp-spells?"

"Jinxes, hexes, curses, charms, healing spells, protective enchantments, dark arts, and transfigurations."

"Ve-very good Miss P-Potter. T-Take five p-points for Ra-Ravenclaw."

Ari looked down to continue her note and saw the note being slipped back to her.

 _'Know it all.'_

'Hey! At least I don't act like I swallowed a set of encyclopedias.'

 _'A set of what?'_

'Never mind. Ask Hermione.'

 _'No way! I am not that desperate.'_

At that time, Professor Quirrell had them begin to take notes so they had to stop passing them. But hey, they had found a way to get through two hours of boredom twice a week. Yay!

The next morning, Hermione told them all some great news that she had found out from Professor McGonagall. So long as they didn't cause any issues, students from different houses could sit together at meals. It was meant to promote school unity.

So, the group decided to sit at the Ravenclaw table. To make it easy to remember, they would switch tables every week in the order Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and then finally Slytherin. They put that house last because it was probably going to be the most hostile. The group now consisted of Hermione, Ron, Draco. Neville, Ari, Faye, Keina, and Caillen. Ari had been trying to get to know her three fellow Ravenclaws the night before and had invited them to join the group at meals.

"Ok, so what does everybody have on today's itinerary?" Hermione asked. She liked to know everybody's schedules because apparently it helped organize homework schedules and study groups.

"Umm..double potions, history of magic, and transfiguration. Guess I finally get to see if Professor Snape is as biased as everybody says he is." Ari answered with Caillen nodding. He too was curious if the rumors were true.

"He is. If Slytherin is in the class, he favors them; however, if not, then he is fair to any house that is not Gryffindor," Ron answered, "My brothers explained it to me to warn me."

"So then, I should be fine. It is you and Hermione that need to worry."

"Oh, hahaha. None of that will help you though if you don't take notes and study for the class. Ok, well Ron and I have double potions, double defense and double herbology."

"Ouch. I have nothing but sympathy for you two. All your doubles in one day. Ummm….just a warning…. that is if you want it," Neville began to stammer.

"Go ahead, Nevile. What do you want to warn us about?" Ari inquired.

Neville had confidence issues. Ari hoped that as he grew older he would become more sure of himself.

"Read the directions carefully. That is. If you want to avoid Professor Snape yelling at you. Make sure you read the directions more than once."

"Yeah, Neville messed up yesterday, blew up a cauldron, got injured and got a lecture all in the course of about five minutes. Anyways, I have charms, history of magic, transfiguration, herbology and astronomy. Ugh, looks like a sleepless night for me tonight." Draco answered. He had seen the accident in Potions even though he had been partnered with Blaise Zabini. It was a simple mistake to make, but it was also an easy one to avoid.

"Don't worry Professor Sinistra won't keep you long tonight. She is just going to explain what to expect in class and assign a reading assignment. You should be back in your dorm no later than ten."

"And you know this how, Granger?" Draco snapped

"Gryffindors had the class last night," Hermione answered shortly, a little upset at being called by her last name.

"Well sorry for not memorizing _everybody's_ schedules."

"I'm only trying to help. If you don't want it just say so, Malfoy."

"I don't need your help. It is only the second day of classes. More than likely you would learn our schedules anyway without trying because they are going to be the same for the NEXT SEVEN YEARS!"

"Umm….guys…"

"WHAT!"

"Eeep! Umm it is time to go class, and Professor McGonagall looks like she is about to come yell at you guys," Neville squeaked while sinking lower and lower into his seat.

Sure enough, the fierce lioness herself was making her way over to them. Ari got the feeling that she could sense a fight about to break out before the people involved even knew that they were going to fight.

"Is everything alright over here?"

"Yes, Professor. Hermione and Draco were just expressing opposing opinions in the hopes of better understanding the ongoing feud between the magical and muggle world," Ari spewed off the top of her head.

To say that the professor looked shocked would be an understatement. Never before had she heard a response like that said without sarcasm or a hint of lying. The others in the group were trying to look as though that is what was being discussed but were just as shocked as Professor McGonagall at Ari's lie.

Professor McGonagall composed herself, "Yes, well move along class starts in about twelve minutes and you don't want to be late." With that stated, she walked away leaving the group to turn on Ari.

"You just lied to a teacher!" Hermione exclaimed in absolute shock.

"Yeah, and your point? I probably just saved you and Draco from losing points or worse detention for fighting in the Great Hall."

Ari had become used to lying to stay out of trouble while at the Dursleys. Now, it was just second nature.

"As noble as your intentions were, Ari," Caillen stated as he got up to leave, "You should not have lied to Professor McGonagall."

The group headed off to their classes with Ari walking down to the dungeons with Hermione, Ron, Faye, Caillen, and Keina. They arrived just as Professor Snape was letting the class into the classroom.

The room was dark, cold and musty. It kind of reminded Ari of a cave. The only thing missing was a bat hovering around. There were ten tables each with two burners. It looked to Ari as though this was another class that they would be working in groups in. The walls were lined with shelves filled with jars. The jars were filled with objects that, to be honest, looked absolutely creepy. It looked like preserved human and animal bits. Ari chose not to focus on it.

The class stood along a wall to the side. They made no move to take a seat, and this turned out to be a wise move. At eight on the dot, Professor Snape came sweeping into the classroom. Ari believed she had just found the missing bat.

"You will take your seats when I call your name. Sit at the table I point to. No, you cannot ask to be moved or to switch. Weasley, Boot; Thomas, Corner; Finnigan, Cornfoot; Baker, Granger; Padma Patil, Brown; Turpin, Parvati Patil; Li, Moon; Goldstein, Caillen Williams; Potter, Keina Williams. These will be your groups. No complaining."

"I do not expect all of you to enjoy the patient art that is potion brewing; however, I expect you all to respect it. Anybody caught sabotaging a potion will be dismissed with the minimum of a week's worth of detentions before you can even begin to stutter 'sorry.' While in this class, you are expected to turn in your homework on time and of a reasonable quality. You are expected to read ahead for the day's lessons, and you are expected to owl order any additional supplies that you might need before you need them. I do question students to make sure they have read. Potter!"

"Yes, sir?" Ari got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Stand."

Ari stood. Now she knew that she was not looking forward to what was about to occur.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Ari was surprised. She hadn't expected to be questioned ten minutes into class. This question wasn't even covered in the first year potions book. However, she had found it in a more advanced potions book that she had purchased.

"Well, Miss Potter?"

"Draught of the living dead, Sir."

"Where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

Again, Ari knew the answer, and at least this answer was in the first year book; albeit at the very end.

"The stomach of a goat, sir."

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Ari decided to jump right into the answer. Hopefully he would be done interrogating her knowledge soon.

"They are different names for the same plant that also goes by the name aconite, sir."

"Sit down, Miss Potter and five points for Ravenclaw. That is what all of you can expect throughout the coming years. I will question you to make sure you have read. Now let's begin. The directions are on the board. You have until the end of the double period to finish the potion."

The class rushed to get the ingredients and begin to prepare. Keina and Ari quickly came up with a strategy to save time. Ari set up the stations and got the cauldrons ready, and Keina went and retrieved the supplies that they needed from the student cupboard. The rest of the class went uneventfully, and before they knew it, Professor Snape was telling them to put some of their potion into a vial, pack up and leave.

Ari and the others made their way to their next class. Which according to the older students was taught by a boring, droning ghost by the name of Professor Binns. History turned out to be even more boring than Defense and within five minutes, the entire class was asleep. Afterwards, Ari had to hand it to Professor Binns; anybody who was able to put eleven of the most studious students to sleep by merely doing attendance had a gift.

The next couple weeks continued much like the first few days of school. The group continued to eat together at meals. Ari was still being stared at in the halls. Ari, Hermione, and Faye had all become accustomed to the owl deliveries at breakfast. The first time she had seen it, Ari had jumped when she heard a voice that wasn't Hedwig.

 _"So it is true. A daughter of Lady Wisdom is here."_ The voice came from Draco's Eagle Owl.

 _"Of course it is true. Hedwig told us she was here. Not to mention we all saw her on the train here."_ The great grey owl who had dropped off a package for Neville responded.

Ari just stared at the owls. She knew that she could not say anything to them in public, let alone in the middle of breakfast at the Great Hall. To get them to get the hint, she gave them a piece of bacon each and sent them on their way.

By now, Ari was accustomed to being spoken to by the owls of her friends every time they delivered something. This morning was no exception except Hedwig joined them. She could hear them arguing as they came into sight.

 _"I don't care. You are still not supposed to do that."_

 _"Oh, come on, Hedwig."_

 _"No. Here is your letter, m'lady. He wants a response."_

Ari decided she was going to have to talk to the owls about conversations at breakfast. So she decided to talk to Hedwig; in human speech of course.

"I am going to come up later, girl. I have some new treats for you. How does that sound?"

Hedwig gave what could be considered by most a content chirp; however, Ari knew what it meant.

 _"Oh no. Archimedes, Merlin, I think we are in trouble."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because m'lady has a look in her eyes like she is less than thrilled with us."_

 _"Oh, don't be so paranoid. No daughter of wisdom would hurt an owl."_

At that comment, Ari finished writing her response to Hagrid's letter.

"Here, Hedwig. Take it there and then get some rest."

 _"Yes, m'lady."_

Hedwig flew off with Archimedes and Merlin following her. Hermione turned to Ari wondering who the letter was from. Ari got the hint. Despite her attempts, Hermione was not good at hiding what she was thinking about.

"The letter was from Hagrid. He wants me to stop by after classes today. He says I can bring some friends along if I want to. However, I think that I am going to stop by the Owlery and give some new treats to Hedwig after I visit Hagrid. I will go after dinner."

"Ummm….Ari. If you don't mind, can I come?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, no problem. Does anybody else want to come?"

"I have astronomy tonight so I can't." Draco answered.

In the end, it was only Ari, Hermione, Ron, and Neville who went to Hagrid's after dinner. When they neared the door, Ari was attacked by Hagrid's boarhound.

"Ah, get back, Fang. You leave Ari alone."

Hermione helped Ari up after Fang got off of her. The group went inside and Hagrid began to make some tea. He offered them some stone cakes which they quickly refused having been warned about them by Fred and George.

"I was wondering if ya had forgotten 'bout me. So I decided ta see if ya been wantin' to com' for some tea."

"No, it's not that we didn't want to see you, it's just that we have had difficulty making sure to get all of our homework done. Plus, we only just got the hang of getting around without getting lost. Honestly, somebody should have made a map of the school," Ari attempted to reassure the kind giant of a man that it had nothing to do with him.

Ari then noticed that there was some sort of newspaper on the table.

"Hey, Hagrid, can I look at that?"

"Yeh, no problem. Just talkin' about the ministry messin' up again'."

"Ministry?"

"The Ministry of Magic. They're in charge of making sure that we remain undetected by the muggles. They are also in charge of making laws, keeping control of magical creatures, and holding trials if somebody is accused of a crime," Ron explained upon seeing both Ari and Hermione confused.

"Well, that does make sense. I mean, you pretty much have a community of people here. So it stands to reason that there needs to be laws and people to make those laws if it is to all run smoothly," Hermione reasoned. Ari was nodding. It did make sense when one thought about it.

Ari took a close look at the newspaper, and one article in particular caught her attention. According to the article, somebody attempted to break in and steal from Gringotts on Ari's birthday. She had to wonder who would be stupid enough to attempt that. She knew from just one look at the goblins that they would not show mercy to anybody they caught trying to steal from the bank.

"Hey guys, what do you know of the attempted break in at the bank. It says that vault 713 was broken into; however, nothing was stolen because it had been emptied earlier that day."

"Wow, that's one of the high security vaults," Ron exclaimed. He went on to explain what he knew since his brother worked for Gringotts.

"Vaults 0-399 are for witches and wizards opening their first bank account. They are mostly muggleborns. However, not all muggleborns chose to open an account at Gringotts. Also, you have to remember that this is the bank for the UK. Each country has its own and some have more than one branch due to how large they are. Anyways, vaults 400-599 are for wizarding families that are not muggle born but are also not considered among our nobility."

"The ancient, noble, ancient and noble, most ancient and noble, and the most ancient and most noble houses," Ari answered.

"Yeah," Ron looked at her surprised. "How did you know that?"

"A book on etiquette and another on the history of the magic world. Now continue. You are explaining something that you actually know that Hermione and I don't."

Anyways, the vaults in the 600's are for those noble families to create trust funds for their children until they are older and either take over the family vaults or if they are not the heir can create their own vault. Vaults in the 700's are the high security vaults, and then all vaults after that belong to the nobility families." Ron finished his explanation.

Hermione then turned on Ari. "So what are those nobility classifications you read about. They all sounded the same."

"They may all sound the same, but they aren't. The Most Ancient and Most Noble houses are the highest ranking as they were the first families blessed by Hecate, and they were given more powerful magic. As such, there are only five of them; Potter, Black, Greengrass, Longbottom, and Bones. The Most Ancient and Noble houses were blessed at the same time as the Most Ancient and Most Noble houses; however, they were not made as powerful. Instead, their powers are about what you see from most ordinary witches and wizards. The Ancient and Noble houses were blessed in the second blessing or are the result of a marriage between two of the upper houses, and they have at least 100,000 galleons to their name. The Ancient houses were those blessed in the second blessing or those that are the merging through marriage of two upper classes but don't have a lot of money. Finally the Noble houses are more recent houses that have at least 100,000 galleons. After that you have the families that are of mixed blood; in other words people from the nobility that married muggleborns."

"Wow, it took years for my parents to finally explain to me why we are classified as Ancient. Apparently one of my ancestors gambled away a good portion of the family money."

"Ari, can I borrow that book?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. However, doesn't it seem like a stroke of luck for the vault that somebody tried to rob had already been emptied?"

"Nah, tha' would be Professor Dumbledore. He 'ad me go an' pick up the item,." Hagrid said not seeming to realize what he was saying.

"Really! What was it?" Ari questioned.

It was then that Hagrid realized what he had just said in front of the group of students.

"Now don't ya be diggin' into stuff that don't concern ya. It is nothin' for ya ta be worrin' about."

The kids decided to drop the topic seeing as how Hagrid wasn't going to say anymore than he had accidentally let slip. It was about an hour later that the group made their way back up to the castle. Once they reached the Entrance Hall, they went their separate ways. Hermione and Ron went to Gryffindor tower because Hermione wanted to get started on some homework that was due next week. Neville headed towards the dungeons and Hufflepuff dormitory. Ari decided that it was time to go and have a talk with a certain group of owls.

Ari entered the owlery about ten minutes later and was greeted by screeches of welcome from the owls that resided there.

Ari noticed Hedwig was trying to stay out of sight and called up to her.

"Hedwig, you have five seconds to get down here with Archimedes and Merlin."

Said three owls made their way down to the daughter of their mistress.

"Hedwig, I know that you remember what Professor Snape said about me talking to you in public. That means that you really can't be trying to hold a conversation with me."

 _"Yes, m'lady. I am sorry."_

"It's ok, Hedwig. Now you two. The same rules apply. Talk in private not in public."

 _"Yes, ma'am."_

"Now one of you called me a daughter of Lady Wisdom. Can somebody explain that to me?"

 _"I can. It's very simple. It means that you are-"_

 _"Now, you be silent, Merlin. I am sorry, m'lady, but we cannot tell you. You have to discover the answer to that question yourself."_

"And why is that, Hedwig?"

 _"Because Lady Magic said so. She made Lady Wisdom and Lord Spontaneity promise that you have to discover for yourself who you are. "_

"Well, I already know that they are my parents."

 _"How did you figure that out, m'lady?"_

"The sorting hat kind of told me. And, for crying out loud, call me Ari."

 _"Of course, m'lady."_

Ari sighed, exasperated that her owl refused to call her by her name.

 _"If I may, Lady Ari,"_ Merlin asked for permission and Ari nodded at him. _"I would recommend that for right now not stressing about it. Answers tend to come more easily when you are not looking for them. Somebody will eventually come along who can give you some answers."_

Ari nodded, accepting his advice. She knew that she wasn't going to get anything from Hedwig. Even though she now knew that Hedwig knew the answers to her questions. Then another question came to mind.

"Hedwig how do you know so much about me? You only met me when you delivered the letter from Professor Snape. Also, you lied to me when I asked you if you knew why I could understand you. Didn't you?"

The owl had enough sense to look ashamed of herself. She had been caught in lying to her little mistress.

 _"Yes, m'lady. I did lie to you. I know why you can understand me; however, I am not allowed to tell you. I am sorry, m'lady."_

"It's Ari, Hedwig. The answer to my other question?"

 _"I know so much about you, m'lady because I know Lady Wisdom. She and Lord Spontaneity might not be permitted to interfere, m'lady, but they have always tried to watch over you. It was Lady Wisdom that sent me to the man of bad disposition so that I could send the letter to you."_

"You know my mom?"

 _"Yes, m'lady."_

"Ari, Hedwig. My name is Ari. Please use it. What is my mom like?"

 _"She is a wonderful lady, m'lady. She eagerly awaits when you realize who you are and can finally meet each other."_

Just then the bells tolled outside. It told Ari that it was time she was returning to her dorm before she was in trouble. However, now she had more to think about.

 **oOo**


	9. Chapter 8

**Can you answer my riddle?**

 **Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 8**

Ari arrived back at her dormitory a few minutes before curfew. The riddle to get in had been simple enough. _If I drink, I die. If I eat, I'm fine. What am I?_ She didn't need much thought to answer it. She had finished her homework during her three hour break between lunch and transfiguration. Apparently, first and second years had a lot of free time; however, come third year that free time would be taken over by electives. It was meant to get them started on learning how to manage their time properly.

Ari walked into the giant Ravenclaw library and began to search for a book. She had finished the books she had purchased in Diagon Alley for background reading. Now, she wanted to read more about the Olympians. They were repeatedly mentioned in the texts that mentioned Hecate. She felt the knowledge was important to her somehow.

Eventually, she found a book entitled _Gods, Goddesses, Kings, and Heroes: A History of Those That Created, Ruled, and Protected the Ancient Land, Greece_. It was a very long winded title; however, it would do for the purpose that Ari needed it for. It was a thick, heavy book. It basically contained every legend, tale and rumor of the ancient gods, kings and heroes. Ari figured that if it fulfilled her purposes maybe she would go and find a copy of the book for herself.

The only things about the gods that she knew were what she had learned in Muggle primary school, which wasn't much. It meant that she knew the names of the Olympians and a few of the main minor gods. She knew the tales of Kronos and him eating his kids, Prometheus and his punishment, Athena and the cursing of Medusa, Athena and the cursing of Arachne and Poseidon and the Minotaur. She knew of the trials of Hercules (Heracles), the journey of Odysseus, the victories of Theseus, Jason, Perseus, and Orion, and the deaths of said heroes. Most of this was from background information she had obtained from the local library when she had been able to sneak out of the house on Privet Drive for a few hours. By checking out some books, she had something to do when she was locked in her cupboard (now bedroom). She had always made sure to take every opportunity to return the books first chance she got so that they would not be late.

Anyways, she took the book down to her dorm so that she could enjoy a few of the legends before going to bed for the night. She started from the beginning of the universe and the births of Chaos, Gaia, Tartarus, and Eros.

After classes the next day, Ari arrived in the dormitory to find the other first years gathered around the notice board. She walked over and saw that Faye was the only one excited; the rest had a sort of resigned look to them. The notice was about flying lessons that would start next week.

 **First Years!**

 **All First Years are hereby notified that starting next week Flying Lessons will begin. Please see your schedule for the time in which you will be expected to attend this class. The only students exempt are those that are on the Quidditch team. At the end of first year, the class will be removed from your schedule.**

 **Thank you,**

 **Professor McGonagall**

 **Deputy Headmistress, Head of the House of Gryffindor**

"Well, that's unexpected," Ari stated conversationally.

"Unexpected! They expect us to learn to hover 50 feet off the ground with nothing but a piece of wood keeping us up!" Terry Boot all but yelled. Ari held in her flinch The rest of her year-mates were looking just as put out.

"What's worse is that this is not something we can learn from a book. This is something that is completely hands on," Lisa Turpin added.

"Ok, what's going on, and why do you all look as though somebody just killed your owls?" Emily asked coming over with Serra and a boy Ari had only seen around the common room.

Ari pointed at the notice on the board. The three upper years took one look and started laughing.

"That's what has you all so worried?" the boy asked through his chuckles. The girls were still laughing too hard to talk.

The group nodded mutely.

"That's nothing to worry about. Madame Hooch is a wonderful teacher. She is also is the referee for all Quidditch matches," Serra began to explain.

"Quidditch?" Faye questioned.

"It's a wizarding sport that is played on broomsticks. Here at Hogwarts, each house has a team and captains are chosen from the upper years. This year I am captain, as I said that first night. However, our team won't stand much of a chance if I don't find a decent replacement for seeker," Serra explained but near the end she started to just sound put upon. It looked as though finding a seeker was turning into a right challenge.

"So who is on the team?" Ari questioned. She was honestly curious.

"OH!" Serra exclaimed. Ari knew then that she had probably just asked the sort of question that would have Serra explaining everything to do with all the players. "Well there is me. I am the Keeper. The chasers are Alex Hale, Cho Chang, and Gwen Reed. Our beaters are Trenton Raines and Torrence here." At this point, she pointed to the boy that had come over with her and Emily.

"Wait, aren't three of those people also prefects?" Caillen asked.

"Yes. That doesn't matter though. As long as they stay on top of their homework and manage their schedules properly, they can do both. So, what day do you get to try out a broom for the first time?"

"Next Wednesday, the class before dinner. We have it with Slytherin," Ari promptly answered. Truth be told she was excited. She didn't know why. Maybe because there was something in her telling her that she could get in so much trouble for just leaving the ground.

"Well, good luck," With that Torrence, Emily, and Serra walked off. The first years dispersed to go and talk about their upcoming doom on a broom. Ari decided that she didn't want to listen to all the negativity and went to her dorm. She had finished the legend of the creation of the universe and earth. Tonight she was going to read about the Titanomachy.

The next morning at breakfast was very much the same as yesterday evening up in the common room. The main difference was that here there were first years from all four houses freaking out over next week's lessons.

"You guys do realize that there is really nothing to worry about. I mean yeah it will be your first time on a broom, but it really isn't that bad. People like Weasel and I have been doing it since we were little. If he can do it, you should have no problem."

"Ferret's right. Most people here have been on one at least once and are more than willing to help those that haven't. Plus Madame Hooch will be there watching. There is no way anybody is going to get hurt. Ari, you have Draco in your class. Neville and Hermione, you guys have me."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Hermione muttered under her breath so that only Ari and Neville heard her.

Ari then realized something super important.

"YOU TWO JUST AGREED!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

The rest of the group looked shocked as the realization that Ron and Draco had actually agreed on something.

"No, we didn't," they stated together. The group started laughing.

"Yes, you did. And, you just did it again." Ari laughed.

"No, we didn't," they looked at each other.

"Stop that!" again together.

"No, you stop that!" and again.

"How about you both stop it? And no need to yell, Potter!" a Hufflepuff prefect reprimanded. This was their third week of eating as a group and as such, they were at the Hufflepuff table. This is after a week of eating at the Gryffindor table and having the Weasley twins trying to get them to help with pranks. By now, some of the group was laughing so hard, they were crying. Some of the surrounding Hufflepuffs were also trying to stop laughing.

Ari knew that their group was being watched closely by not only the prefects but also by the teachers. Apparently no group of friends that was made up of kids from all four houses had been able to stay together through all seven years of school. They also tended to break up in painful and hurtful ways. Ari looked up at the teacher's table and sure enough, Professor Snape was looking right at her. She raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, 'what?'

He raised his eyebrow to respond, 'You know what.'

Ari shrugged, 'Whatever, we aren't doing anything wrong.'

At that point, he looked away and seemed to engage in a conversation with Professor Dumbledore.

Ari tuned back into the conversation that was still on flying. Hermione had apparently taken it upon herself when she heard about the flying lessons, to go and check out _Quidditch Through the Ages._ She was now giving advice on how to stay on a broom. Neville, being as nervous as he was, was taking in all the advice that he could.

Classes were running as well as could be expected. They were working on changing their needles back into toothpicks. So far, only Ari and Keina had managed it. However, Faye and Caillen were close. Faye just needed to focus more.

In charms, they were still learning the theory of the first spells that they would be trying. They were being told stories of what could happen if one mispronounces a word or changes a letter. Ari wondered who was going to be the person stupid enough to try and summon the buffalo.

History was still putting everybody to sleep, and Defense was still pointless. Ari and Draco were still passing notes in class. They included funny drawing, witty comments, and of course, criticism of their cowardly teacher was in abundance.

 _'Can I leave? Oh, please can I leave? I can't take much more of this s-s-stammering. It is driving me n-nu-nuts!'_

'You will stay put. Leave me alone in this class, and I will take a page out of Fred and George's book. You won't find peace for the next month!'

 _'You wouldn't dare!'_

'Try me! They are apparently very eager to teach me how to prank. Leave me with this nut, and I will take them up on their offers.'

It was conversations like this that got them through that class. Potions was going ok. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan liked to try and play games in class- they had blown up more than a few potions. Finally, in Herbology, they were learning about Devil's Snare. It was a very tricky plant. Luckily, they were not actually handling it. Professor Sprout brought it to class to show them. However, she kept them well away from it.

All too soon, the class that the first years were both fearing and anticipating arrived. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had their flying lessons on Tuesday. From what the group got out of Hermione and Ron, Neville had been nervous about being left on the ground and had taken off too quickly. The broom lost control, and he fell. He broke his wrist. Madame Pomfrey was keeping him till before curfew to make sure that nothing else is wrong. The Slytherins at the table found this extremely funny.

"Oh, shut up. Like any of you did any better your first time of a broom," Ari snapped. If there was one thing she would not stand it was somebody making fun of one of her friends.

"Actually, Potter, most of us have been on a broom since we could walk. There are children's brooms made for that," Pansy sneered. "However, you wouldn't know that being raised by muggles."

"You're right I wouldn't. Because, my parents died when I was one."

That shut the table up. That reminded everybody just why Ari Potter had to be raised by muggles instead of as an aristocratic girl like she was supposed to be. Many felt pity for the girl; however, she didn't want it. Pity didn't do anybody any good.

Flying lessons arrived quicker than Ari would have liked for them to. She was nervous. Something kept telling her that she should keep her feet planted firmly on the ground. However, she really didn't have a choice. This was a required class.

The first year Slytherins and Ravenclaws arrived at the training grounds about five minutes before class started. This was the last class for the Ravens, but the Snakes still had astronomy later that night. The first thing that all of them noticed were the two rows of ten brooms lying on the ground.

"Alright! Everybody step to the left side of a broom," a lady that looked like a human hawk called as she marched swiftly towards them.

They all did as she said.

'My name is Madame Hooch. Welcome to your first flying lessons. Now these classes are once a week. If you are proficient enough at the end of your first year, then you will not have to continue these classes later. Now, hold your right hand over your broom and say up."

Ari did so. Her broom was among the first to go straight up into her hands. Draco's also jumped right up. They grinned at each other, agreeing on one thing. This was was going to be fun.

It took about ten minutes for everybody to get their brooms to leave the ground. Ari had a feeling it was because most of them wanted to stay on the ground.

"Once you have a hold of your broom, I want you to mount. Please be sure to keep a firm grip on it. You don't want to be sliding off the end of it once you are in the air."

She went around to make sure that everybody had a firm enough grip. She had to correct the grips of Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. It was funny to watch Pansy try and argue with Madame Hooch.

"Alright, on my whistle you will push off from the ground, hard. Hover for a moment to get used to the feeling, then lean forward slightly and touch back down. We have already had one broken wrist so be careful. No funny tricks."

Madame Hooch blew her whistle, and as one, the 20 students were suddenly airborne. The feeling of being in the air was wonderful. For the first time since she could remember, Ari felt truly free. She decided that she needed to land before she decided to do something foolish. She touched back down smoothly.

"Well done, Miss Potter. Ten points to Ravenclaw."

One by one, the students made their way to the ground. Eventually the only two in the air were Pansy and Faye. Both came down to land at the same time; however, Pansy wasn't exactly straight. Her broom knocked into Faye's. Suddenly, Faye's broom took off across the field with her as an unwilling passenger.

"HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!"

Madame Hooch took off running after the girl on the run-away broom. Not even bothering to tell the rest of the class to stay put. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle burst out laughing.

"Wow. Did you see her face when the broom suddenly took off again? I didn't mean to do that, but I wish I had. It was just too funny."

"Shut up, Pansy," Ari snapped. "Faye could be seriously hurt because of that."

"And who's going to make me, Potter. Last I checked only Gryffindors are this foolishly reckless. So, why don't you go and read a book?"

"Really, I thought that Slytherins were supposed to be sly and cunning. Attacking from the shadows and not where anybody and everybody can see them. If either of us is acting the part of a foolish lion, it would be you."

SLAP! The sound resounded across the training grounds. Everybody just stared at the Parkinson heiress, not believing what she had just done .

"You will not insult me, Potter," Pansy spat, "I am the heiress of the Ancient and Noble house of Parkinson."

"If we are pulling rank, then mine is higher than yours since I am the heiress of the Most Ancient and Most Noble house of Potter. Mine outranks yours," Ari answered calmly looking Pansy straight in the eyes, "Now, back off."

Everybody who knew what they were talking about inhaled sharply and took a big step back. They took those who didn't know with them and began to explain quietly what Ari meant by she pulled rank. Draco was watching closely. He knew who he would back if it came down to it. He just hoped that it didn't. He decided to try and calm Pansy down.

"Pansy, stop. You have already struck an heiress of a house higher than yours. You really don't want it to escalate."

The word escalate gave Pansy an idea. She reached into her bag and grabbed a bottle of ink, and then she grabbed the two brooms off the ground and thrust one of them into Ari's hands.

"Ok, Potter wants to prove herself; we'll let her."

With that, she took off on the broom.

"Ari, you really don't need to do this. You can easily say no to her. As you said, Potter outranks Parkinson."

"Unfortunately Draco, many people see this the way that Pansy does. I am the muggle-raised, half-blood heiress to a pureblood family. It means that I have to prove that I still have what it takes to uphold the family name."

Ari took off on her broom after Pansy. She had never been on a broom from what she could remember. However, there just seemed to be something in her telling her what to do. That same thing was telling her that if the right person found out about this, she could be in serious trouble.

"Ok, Potter. Once around the training grounds. If you are a pureblood heiress, doing that should be no problem. After all, we are all able to fly on brooms since the age of three."

"And what are you going to be doing?" Ari asked suspicious of what Pansy was planning.

"Heh, caught on have you? Well, once you get to that last corner I am going to drop this." Here she pulled out the bottle of ink "All you have to do is catch it before it hits the ground."

"And you are going to wait until I get to the last corner?"

"Of course."

"Pansy, stop. This is stupid," Draco shouted. He really didn't want to see what else she had planned. As a Slytherin, she had to have an ulterior motive here.

"Well?"

"Fine. Draco, say go."

"Go."

Ari took off around the training grounds. They weren't that big; however, she was wondering if she would be able to do this. It was with that thought that she realized that she was already half way around the field without even thinking about it. She looked over at Pansy and saw her drop the bottle of ink. She dropped it, right over Ari's bag that contained her homework, textbooks, and a few library books.

Ari changed directions and took off right across the field. Once she was close enough she dived down at an angle hoping to intercept the bottle before it touched her bag. Faintly she heard her classmates screaming, but she didn't pay attention to it. She was gaining on the bottle, and then, about an inch from her bag, Ari reached out and grabbed the bottle. She then landed smoothly on the ground.

Draco ran over to Ari. Never before had he seen someone do that their first time on a broom. When he had seen Pansy drop the bottle, he had been all set to catch it when he saw what the ink would land on. His stomach had about gone into his throat when he saw Ari dive to catch it. He was just grateful that she was back on the ground.

"Miss Potter!" a squeaky voice shouted from the entrance to the school.

It was Professor Flitwick. He was running towards them as fast as his short stature would let him. He was looking from Ari, to the broom on the ground, to the bottle in her hand, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Follow me, Miss Potter."

Draco decided to intervene for his friend.

"Professor, Ari didn't…"

"Not now, Mr. Malfoy."

"But Pansy…"

"Silence, Miss Patil."

Ari grabbed her bag and followed Professor Flitwick back into the school. The entire time she followed him she wondered what her punishment would be. It hadn't been like she could turn down Pansy's challenge. If she had wanted to get the others to lay off about her right to be called a Potter, she had to answer it. However, now she was wondering what awaited her. Hopefully she wasn't getting expelled. She didn't know if she would survive going back to the Dursley's full time. No. She wouldn't. She would be dead before the end of the week. No, if she got expelled she would begin her search for her parents. She knew the epithets that they went by. It was just a matter of finding out what their real names were and where they were.

Without realizing it, Ari was led into the dungeons and to the door that led to Professor Snape's classroom.

"Wait here, Miss Potter."

Professor Flitwick stepped inside.

"Professor Snape, may I borrow Miss Stone for a few minutes?"

"Yes, take her. However, be warned, Miss Stone, that failure to finish this assignment will result in you coming in to make up for it."

Serra passed a phial to her partner and mouthed "finish it for me, please."

Her partner nodded and Serra left.

Professor Flitwick came out of the classroom with, to Ari's surprise, Serra.

"Follow me you two."

He led them back up into the main part of the castle and into an empty classroom. There he turned to them and explained.

"Miss Potter, as you know this is Miss Stone. Miss Stone, I have here for you your new seeker!" he exclaimed. By the end, he was almost bouncing.

"What? Professor, that's not possible. She is just a first year. If I remember the time she told me, then she was just in her first lesson this hour. Am I right, Ari?"

"Yeah." She was a bit uncomfortable.

"See, Professor. How can she be a seeker?"

"Well, what position would you want someone to play when they were all the way on the other side of the the training grounds and caught this," here he tossed Serra the ink bottle "an inch before it would have drenched her school bag in ink?"

Serra's eyes went wide. If this was true, then maybe Ravenclaw would stand a chance of not being pummeled again this year.

"Is that true, Ari?"

"Yeah. Parkinson dropped it."

"Professor if we do this, we will have to get her a broom. She can't exactly play on a school broom. But, the rules forbid it."

"Don't worry, Miss Stone, I will settle it with Dumbledore. Do you accept your new seeker?"

"Yes, of course I do. I think a Nimbus would be the best for her. They are easy to control, and she is still a new flyer despite her skills. They are also fast and change direction quickly."

"Very well. Class is almost over. I recommend you two just head on down to dinner. I had to dismiss my class early when I saw Miss Potter go into that dive. Hopefully, the Gryffindors will study what they were supposed to learn today so I can finish quickly next class. Well, I know Miss Granger will. She really should have been in my house. Oh well."

With that, Professor Flitwick walked out of the classroom. This left the two girls, the older one looking at the younger one with anticipation. The younger one was staring at her shoes.

"I guess you are going to have to start joining the team for quidditch practices now. Tell you what, meet me on the Quidditch pitch at seven on Friday. I can see how you are, and then, you can join the team for practice three days a week. Our first match isn't until the end of November, so we have plenty of time to get you caught up with the rest of the team."

"Ok," Ari stated, She was a bit distracted thinking about what her friends were going to think when she told them. She had to make sure that they had breakfast at the Ravenclaw table though.

Ari's friends were thrilled to say the least the next day at breakfast. Ari had all but dragged them over to the Ravenclaw table. While they were shocked at first, they quickly came to understand. Draco kept telling Ari that with what she pulled it was a wonder she didn't get a couple detentions to go along with being a seeker. Hermione had lectured her on how reckless and stupid she had been. She then mentioned something that grabbed Ari's attention.

"You know, Ari, your dad was on the Quidditch team when he went to school here."

Everybody stared at her like she had just lost her mind.

"What?"

"Ummm… Hermione. I haven't known my dad since he died when I was one. How was I supposed to know that he played Quidditch? My aunt and uncle never talked about my parents."

Ari was thinking about how even if they weren't her birth parents, it still would have been nice to have known the Potters and to have had adopted parents. Everybody was looking at Ari like she had just told a huge secret. Ari never spoke of her family willingly. Every time it was brought up, she promptly changed the topic. So, to hear her bring up her aunt and uncle willingly was truly strange.

"Alright, come on." Hermione grabbed Ari by the arm and dragged her out of the Great Hall. Behind them, Ron hurried to catch up. The rest decided not to even bother. If Hermione had an idea, then there was no stopping her. Poor Ari.

At the staff table, Professor Flitwick had just finished explaining what had happened during the flying lesson after Madame Hooch had left. Madame Hooch was less than happy. Professor Snape was saying she should have at least received one detention for reckless endangerment. Professor McGonagall was congratulating Professor Flitwick on finding a suitable replacement for a seeker. Professor Dumbledore was watching all of this with a twinkle in his eyes, when he noticed Hermione drag Ari out of the room.

"Well, it looks as though Miss Granger has decided to show Miss Potter something."

"What do you think it is?" Professor McGonagall questioned while watching to see if anybody else left. Sure enough, Ron got up and followed.

"There is that trophy with her dad's name on it. You know- from his sixth year when they won the cup," Professor Sprout pointed out.

Professor Snape snorted. Ari was adopted, and everybody seemed to forget that little detail. She was nothing like James or Lily. If anything, Ari would be more like her birth parents. Whoever they were, they were going to have their hands full of a very intelligent yet very impulsive girl.

"If that is indeed where Miss Granger is taking Miss Potter, then we can expect Miss Potter will be more curious about her parents,"

Sure enough, Hermione was leading Ari and Ron right into the trophy room on the third floor. They made their way up the staircases. Ari wasn't paying attention when the staircase leading to the third floor changed on them. They hadn't been quick enough climbing. They hung on tight as the staircase turned 180 degrees to face the opposite direction.

"Come on this way, before the stairs move again," Ron stated. He really just didn't want to go for another ride.

They walked along the corridor. Ari was getting a sinking feeling that something in this corridor was not right.

"Does anybody get the feeling that we are not supposed to be here?" Hermione asked the question on everybody's minds.

Ari took another look around and then realized where they were.

"We aren't supposed to be here. This is the corridor on the east side of the third floor. It's the forbidden corridor. Come on let's go back," Ari stated.

They turned around to go back, but they ran into one of the last things that they wanted to; Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat.

They all knew that if she was here, then Mr. Filch wasn't far behind.

"RUN!" Ari screamed.

The trio ran down the hall in the opposite direction of where they were trying to go just a few minutes before. They knew they had to hide before Filch arrived. They kept running until they came to a dead end. A locked door.

"That's it. We're done. We are going to be in so much trouble," Ron began to freak out.

Hermione grabbed Ari's wand and pointed it at the door.

"Alohomora!"

The door unlocked with a click. Ari ushered the others in before closing the door behind her. She pressed her ear to the door. Filch was coming.

"Is anybody here, my sweet? No? Well then, come on. Maybe we can catch those brats that are called twins."

Ari breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe. She then felt Hermione tug on her robe, urging her to turn around.

Ari turned around and what she saw she could not believe. After all, it was supposed to be a myth, a legend, nothing but a tale from ancient Greek mythology.

The three first years were face to face to face to face with a dog. A three headed dog, a cerberus, but a dog nonetheless. Its six green-yellow eyes all staring at the children in shock that it was quickly getting over. It bared its yellow teeth, and for a minute, Ari was certain that its breath, which smelt worse than Professor Quirrell's turban, was going to be what killed them. Ari was shocked; something like this should not be in a school for children. In the next minute, all hell broke loose. The dog got over its shock, and Ari groped for the handle. If it was a choice between being caught by Filch and being sent back to the Dursley's or being eaten by this dog, well, she would take Filch and the Dursleys any day.

Ari finally managed to get the door open. She pushed Hermione and Ron through before following. She and Ron put their weight against the door to get it closed, and Hermione relocked it. The group then made their way back to the stairs. Hermione was less than happy with the two of them.

"You two could have gotten us killed, or worse yet, expelled. This is why we were warned to just wait for the stairs to change back, Ron!"

"Hey, you didn't have to come along. You could have left us in that hall to get caught by Filch."

"Will, you two stop? It was an accident. However, I think we now know where the object that Hagrid retrieved from Gringotts is."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Oh keep up, Ronald. It's obvious. That thing wouldn't be in the school unless it was protecting something important. It's too dangerous."

Ari nodded along with Hermione. That had been what she was thinking. Running into the cerberus would have been absolutely awesome if the cerberus had not been trying to kill her and her friends.

Finally arriving at the trophy room, Hermione led them straight to one that was along the left hand wall. She stopped midway down the wall and pointed. Ari looked at the award that she was pointing to. It was a Quidditch trophy, and the name engraved on it was James Potter.

"Do you know what it was for?"

"It looks like he broke a record or something. According to the card, that game he was playing reserve seeker, and he finished the game in record time; ten minutes."

"I honestly never knew."

With that, Ari turned and walked out of the room. She knew her friends would follow her out. They had to run to get to potions on time. Professor Snape gave them a raised eyebrow as they entered right at eight.

The rest of the day was uneventful. They were back to sitting at the Hufflepuff table at lunch. Upon being told what was down the forbidden corridor, Neville screamed, drawing the attention of the prefects again. Draco went pale.

"Seriously? You actually went down the _forbidden corridor_? I can understand the two Gryffindors doing something that stupid, but come on, Ari! You have a head, use it before you lose it. Which, honestly, I'm shocked didn't happen when you ran into a three. Headed. Dog."

Professor Snape was up at the staff table watching. Many did not know this, but he could read lips. And right now, if what he was reading from his godson's was true, then those three were definitely lucky to be alive. He was honestly starting to believe that Potter did have a death wish.

Ari arrived back at her dormitory and decided she should probably finish the defense essay she had received today. If she did it now, then she could work on any homework she received tomorrow tomorrow. She had to write ten inch on how to identify a curse. That wouldn't be too difficult. There were plenty of books on curses in the Ravenclaw library. She grabbed her textbooks and went over to sit with Faye, Keina, and Caillen.

"Have you guys finished your defense essay yet?"

"Not yet, but I am almost done," Caillen answered.

Ari looked over, and sure enough, he had six inches already. He was using three of the books from the Ravenclaw library plus the defense textbook. The textbook contained absolutely no practical defense; only theory.

Ari began her essay.

 **Identifying A Curse**

 **Ari Potter**

 **There are many different ways to identify a curse….**

On and on the essay went, it was almost eight when she finally finished the final edit of her twelve inch essay. She had decided that going over would not cause her to lose points; unless of course she didn't know what she was talking about. She had made sure to quote her sources.

"Hey, Cai?"

"Yeah, Ari?"

"What would you say to swapping essays and editing?"

"Sure, why not? I am always open to some criticism."

"Be warned, Ari. If you ask Cai to criticize it, then he will," Keina warned as she saw them trading papers.

Around ten, the two had finished editing each other's essays. Ari had to admit that Cai did not hold back when it came to criticism; however, it was all well thought out and helpful. She finished her essay, said goodnight and headed towards the dormitory. She decided to go ahead and read the next legend; Prometheus, fire and man.

Friday came relatively quickly for Ari. She, Ron, and Hermione had agreed to stay away from the corridor and whatever that dog was guarding. They really wanted to keep their heads; thank you very much.

The end of dinner saw Ari heading up to put on some different clothes before heading down to the quidditch pitch. She really didn't want to try this in her school robes. It was after class hours, so casual clothing was allowed. Ari was going to have to continue to use a school broom for now. Madame Hooch had placed one in the Ravenclaw dressing rooms for her to use. This way, she didn't have to come and find Madame Hooch every time she had practice.

When she arrived, Serra was not in sight. So, Ari decided she wanted to take a quick lap around the pitch. She took off and was instantly filled with the feeling of immense freedom once more. It was about ten minutes later when she heard Serra calling for her to land.

"Wow. Professor Flitwick wasn't kidding. You are a natural. Tonight, I am primarily going to be explaining the rules of the game. After this, you will be joining the team for practices. Now what do you know of the game?"

"Only what you told us that one time in the common room. That it is played on brooms."

"Ok, we'll start with the players and the balls."

She unlocked the chest that Ari just noticed was laying at her feet. Serra picked up the big red one.

"This ball is called the quaffle. It is handled by the chasers, and they try to put it through those three hoops on either end of the pitch. The chasers as stated before are Alex, Cho, and Gwen. I play the keeper, and my job is to prevent the other team's chasers from scoring."

"Ok, what do those balls do?" Ari motioned towards the two identical balls that were trying desperately to get out of their holdings.

"These are the bludgers. They are handled by the beaters. Each beater is given a bat, and they try to hit the bludgers at the other players. They keep the chasers from scoring, the keeper from blocking the quaffle, and the seeker from catching the snitch."

"Snitch?"

"Give me a minute. I'll get there. Now, the beaters on our team are Torrence and Trenton. Now, you are a seeker. As I already alluded to, your job is to catch the snitch."

At this point, Serra took out a little golden ball. Ari thought it was cute.

"This is the golden snitch. Your job is to catch it before the other team's seeker. You catch it, it ends the game. The team that catches it gets 150 points and almost always wins the game."

They spent the next half hour running exercises to see where Ari needed improvement in her flying. Turns out, while she was natural, she was still shifting her weight too much. Serra assured her that it would come with practice. Ari was then informed that because she was on the Quidditch team, she did not have to attend flying lessons anymore.

By the time they made it up to Ravenclaw Tower, both girls were exhausted. They were greeted by the rest of the team. Alex and Torrence seemed happy that Ari was on the team. However, Gwen, Trenton, and Cho seemed a bit hesitant.

"She is but a first year. Are we sure she can even fly well?" Cho questioned while looking Ari up and down.

"Ari can fly fine. She is a natural. Professor Flitwick is the one that brought her to me, and I have just spent the past hour watching her. There are still some areas that she needs to work on; however, this was only her second time flying. She will be fine."

"She can fly fine now, but what about when the bludgers are flying around? Not to mention the other team." Trenton questioned. He really just didn't want to see her get hurt. She was a nice kid.

"That is what you and Torrence are for. Not to mention practices. She is on the team. We need a seeker, and everyone at try-outs was horrible. It's either her or we might as well just forfeit now."

The rest of the team still looked nervous; however, Ari sensed that they knew Serra was right. Hopefully since the first game isn't until the end of November, they would gain some confidence in her before then.

 **xXx**


	10. Chapter 9

**Answer to previous riddle...fire. I have found a wonderful beta in Lady of Something!**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 9**

The month of September gave way to the month of October and with it ended the nice summer evenings. Quidditch practices became cold, and Ari was still expected to come back to the common room and work on homework. Ari, Faye, Caillen and Keina had formed something of a study group. Every evening and during their breaks, they worked on their homework. By doing it this way, they never felt much stress to get it done. Hermione, on the other hand, while tackling homework the same way that they did, had to fight Ron to get his done, and most of the time, he waited until the last minute to even start it.

It wasn't until the week of Halloween that the next adventure began for the group. All the students were starting to get excited in anticipation for the feast that would be happening the next day. Classes had just ended and the group had decided to enjoy this last warm day down by the lake. Ari, the other Ravenclaws, Hermione and Draco had brought along their Potions homework to try and make a dent in it, when the last group that they wanted to see came over.

"Go away, Pansy," Ari stated trying to end this thing before it started.

Ari was finding herself becoming more and more comfortable around people her own age. Adults still caused issues as did physical contact, however.

"Oh, don't be like that, Potter. You know that I am worth more than these losers any day."

"These 'losers' happen to be my best friends. And I asked you to leave. We don't need your attitude and negativity while we try to do our homework."

"You know, if you keep hanging out with them, you will never be welcome in the pureblood circles again. Most of us don't accept those that associate with mudbloods and blood traitors. And, you have two mudbloods, two blood traitors and three that are well on their way to being marked as blood traitors."

The reaction to this statement was instantaneous. Draco was holding Ron back after the fiery redhead had decided to try and tackle Pansy. Crabbe and Goyle had jumped in front of Pansy to prevent her from being hurt. Caillen and Keina had started yelling at Pansy.

"How could you?"

"Do you have any idea what you are saying?"

"Faye and Hermione are ten times better than you will ever be."

Faye and Hermione looked confused. Ari guessed that they had never heard the term before and didn't know the full meaning of it. The only reason Ari knew it was because the etiquette book mentioned it. It described it as a term that was not to be used in polite society. However, Pansy had apparently never learned that lesson.

Ari was furious that anybody could be so cruel as to think that way. She closed her eyes to try and get control of her temper; however, it didn't work. The next thing that Ari knew, she heard the sound of rushing water in her ear and people screaming.

"Ari, what did you just do?" Hermione screamed. She was looking from Ari to Pansy.

Ari looked over at Pansy and had to hold in a laugh. Pansy was drenched in water from head to toe. She was also the only one who got wet. Her makeup was running. Her hair style, that probably took her a good half hour, minimum, was now ruined.

"Ari, did you just do accidental magic?" Caillen asked while looking scrutinizingly at her.

"Ummm… I don't... I mean… ummmm…" Ari didn't know how to answer. She was confused herself as to what just happened. Luckily for Ari, she was saved from answering by a professor.

"What is going on out here?" came the commanding voice of Professor Snape, who was making his way swiftly over to them.

"Ari just attacked me, Professor- unprovoked," Pansy whined while Crabbe and Goyle nodded along.

Professor Snape looked from Pansy to Ari. The scene made little sense. Pansy was the only person or thing that was wet. Not even the ground was wet. There was no way that Ari could have got Pansy wet without getting other things in between wet... unless...

"Miss Potter, come with me. Now," His tone left no room for opposition. Ari felt it was best just to follow the irate professor. He was already making his way back to the school.

"Yes Professor. Guys, grab my stuff for me, please."

"No problem, Ari, just go," Draco answered. He knew better than to keep Professor Snape waiting.

Ari followed Professor Snape into his office in the dungeons. She noticed that the portraits that they passed by were muttering to each other, as though trying to find out why she was in trouble. She knew that there would be rumors spreading around before the end of the night. She was nervous to say the least. She wasn't sure if what she did was accidental magic or something else. Whatever it was, she knew that Professor Snape would not let her leave without a full explanation as to why she attacked one of his students.

Professor Snape looked at Ari with an expression that Ari could not place. It was almost as though he was trying to solve a puzzle, and Ari was a tricky piece that would not fit where it was supposed to.

"Take a seat, Potter."

Ari sat in the offered seat. She really didn't want to talk about this.

"What happened?"

Short sentences, not good. Ari figured it was best just to stick to the truth and keep it short.

"Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle came over and started asking me why I was still hanging out with the friends that I hang out with. I asked her to leave."

"You are leaving something out, Miss Potter. Now, I recommend you tell me everything."

"She called Faye and Hermione mudbloods and Neville and Ron blood traitors," Ari said at barely a whisper.

She hated saying the word, and she hated it even more when it was said in association with two of her best friends. Seeing the look on Professor Snape's face made her feel even worse.

"She called them what?" He asked in a calm quiet voice. Ari knew that he was furious

"Sir, please don't make me repeat it. I know what it means, and I hate saying it."

"Very well then, I will deal with Miss Parkinson later. However, you used magic on a student."

"Actually, sir, I didn't," Ari stated quietly. They were now past the most uncomfortable part and into the part that she just didn't understand. Ari had never had issues telling Professor Snape about the weird magic that she did. That is why she had not hesitated to tell him that she could talk to owls. She didn't understand the trust that she had had from the beginning but trust him she did.

"What do you mean, you didn't use magic on a student?"

"I didn't have my wand in my hand, and I didn't mutter a spell. I closed my eyes to control my temper, and the next thing I knew, I heard a wave in my ears and people screaming."

Professor Snape's eyes widened. His mind wandered to all the possibilities. He knew what that sounded like but surely it was not possible! After all, that would mean breaking the oath, then again, the youngest brother already broke it. No, he needed more proof before he decided upon anything.

"Has anything like this ever happened before? Think very carefully."

"Ummm... when I was at the zoo one time, I heard voices when going through aquarium. It happened the same day I first heard a snake talk to me."

Professor Snape's eyes widened in disbelief. This could not be happening.

"Wait a minute, Potter. What do you mean, 'talk to snakes and aquatic creatures?' The only creatures that I know that you can talk to are owls."

"Well, that was the only one that you saw, and I did tell you that I could speak to snakes when you came to the Dursleys'."

"Don't be disrespectful."

"Yes, sir, sorry. I had a conversation with a snake at the zoo, right before I did accidental magic I think."

"And the fish?"

"Originally, I thought I was just hearing voices in the aquarium. Honestly, I thought I was going nuts for the 20 minutes that we were going through the aquarium. I only began to think that it was the fish after the snake and after we got home."

"So, you reasoned it out?"

"Yes, sir."

Snape had to admit that he was impressed. The girl had reasoned out for herself what was going on around her.

"What did you think?"

"I thought I was going crazy. Thinking back I realise that the fish can be much more annoying than owls. The owls only are annoying in their formality. But the fish, they never seem to shut up. And it's always sea princess this and sea princess that."

Professor Snape was silent for a minute. If the creatures of the sea were calling her princess, then his guess as to what Ari was was probably correct. However, that would not necessarily be a good thing. It depended on if it was Triton or Poseidon. For now though, he would not say anything.

"No Miss Potter, you were not going crazy. Though, I can see how it would be disconcerting. We will put the water incident at the lake down to accidental magic. You need to keep better control of your temper. Got it, Miss Potter?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Then you are excused."

"Thank you, Professor."

Ari walked out of the classroom. Leaving Professor Snape with much to think about. He hoped beyond hope that it was Lord Triton and not Lord Poseidon. Because otherwise, Ari was in for a difficult life.

Ari meanwhile, went up to Ravenclaw Tower and locked herself in her semi private room. She really didn't want to be disturbed. She had already made her way through many of the legends and was now getting into some of the ones that she was a little more familiar with. Tonight she was going to read about Hades, god of the underworld which was protected by a cerberus.

Ari and the others had long since decided that whatever Hagrid had retrieved from Gringotts was being protected by the Cerberus. They had also decided that, since it was more than likely that the professors were protecting it, they would leave it alone.

Classes the next day were difficult for the teachers to say the least. The good news was that there were no double classes that day because Halloween fell on a Friday. Most of the first years had most of their classes in the morning and then maybe one in the afternoon.

The Ravenclaws started in Charms and on that day they were finally going to put their theory work into practical. Professor Flitwick at the beginning of class announced that they were going to actually start practicing the levitation spell.

"Now, one of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is to make objects fly. Now, you will be working in groups. Please make sure you have a feather per group. And remember the movement for the spell. Wand movement can be just as important as the pronunciation. For instance, today's spell will do nothing if you do not remember the swish and flick that we have been working on. Now, off you go. Let's see you try."

At the end of the speech, all of the the Ravenclaws picked up their wands and began to attempt the spell. Many were having trouble with the pronunciation. However, none of them were acting like windmills. About ten minutes into trying, Faye was the first one to perform the spell.

"Oh, well done, Miss Baker. Take ten points for Ravenclaw."

In her excitement over actually performing the spell, Faye somehow sent the feather flying right into Professor Flitwick's eye. The rest of the class laughed as Professor Flitwick tried to sooth his now very sore eye. Class ended with pretty much all of them having successfully levitated their feathers at least once.

The day was going great until Ari ran into her other friends on their way to dinner. She heard Ron talking to Seamus and Dean.

"Honestly, she is an absolute nightmare. I don't know why I even bother hanging out with her. She is such a know-it-all."

At that moment, Hermione went running past the group and past Ari. There were tears in her eyes. She noticed that Draco and Neville were getting closer from the other end of the courtyard. Deciding that she wasn't going to let Ron get away with this, Ari marched up to him and dragged him away from Seamus and Dean.

"OOOWWWWW!" Ron hollered as she dragged him into an empty classroom.

Once inside, she turned on him. Not even caring that the door opened and closed again. She knew that it would be Draco and Neville.

"You are a real piece of work, you know that?!" she all but yelled at him.

"Wh-what do you mean? I haven't done anything to anybody."

"Your comments about Hermione! She heard you!"

"What has Weasel done, Ari?" Draco asked trying to get all the facts.

Ari looked over and saw that both Draco and Neville were confused. She took a deep breath.

"He said - and I quote - 'Honestly, she is an absolute nightmare. I don't know why I even bother hanging out with her. She is such a know-it-all.' He said it right where she could hear him!" Ari explained.

Draco and Neville turned and started to glare at the foolish Gryffindor.

"That was uncalled for."

"You know that she is trying."

Ron looked insulted that all of this was falling onto him. It wasn't his fault.

"Me! You should have seen her in charms. She was acting all superior, like she knew everything," he defended.

Ari took a deep breath; he didn't get it.

"Ron, that is besides the point. Hermione, is Hermione. I have already had some talks with her about this. We all have. However, what you said was nothing short of cruel. In her own way, Hermione was probably trying to help you. While she may have gone about it in the wrong way, so did you!" Ari tried to explain.

It looked as though Ron was beginning to understand as he started to pale.

"Ron, what you did was bullying. Believe me while it may not be physical, it still hurts."

"You need to apologize Ron," Neville input with Draco nodding.

"Alright, dinner should be starting soon. I will apologize at dinner."

With that, the group made their way to the Great Hall. They had to sit at their own tables because it was a holiday. While eating a slice of pumpkin pie, Ari decided to look over and see if Ron was apologizing yet. He wasn't. In fact, Hermione wasn't even at the table. Ari heard Lavender Brown tell Parvati that Hermione had locked herself in the girl's bathroom. She was about to grab her friends from their tables and try and find Hermione when Professor Quirrell came running into the hall.

"Troll! In the dungeons! Troll in the dungeons!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ari looked up and saw that the majority of the teachers had stood up and were looking grim and pale. When Professor Quirrell collapsed, the room was in an instant panic until Professor Dumbledore ordered for silence.

"Prefects, lead your houses back to the common rooms! Teachers follow me to the dungeons. Slytherin go with Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff go with Gryffindor."

The chaos soon became organized as the prefects began to grab their houses. The first year Ravenclaws followed Trenton and Gwen as they led the first years out of the hall. The prefects both had their wands out and were constantly looking around. Once in the Entrance Hall, they ran into the first year Slytherins, including Draco. Ari tried to get Gwen's attention, but she was ignored.

"Keep moving Ari. You can talk when we get back up to the tower."

"But…"

"No but's. We need to get out of danger before the troll leaves the dungeons."

Ari then tried the Slytherin prefect but with just as much luck. Ari turned back to Draco.

"We need to find a teacher. Hermione doesn't know about the troll," Ari explained.

Draco's eyes widened, "Are you crazy? There's a troll on the loose. Just tell your prefect."

"I already tried. They won't listen. Come on, we can find a teacher before they reach the dungeon."

Draco, not seeing any better options, nodded in agreement. They quickly made their way towards the dungeon, hoping to find a teacher soon. They were about to turn a corner when Ari grabbed Draco and pulled him back.

"Hey! What's the-" he started shouting.

"Shhhh. Listen," Ari instructed quietly.

Footsteps, by the sound of them, big ones. They were heading towards the two. Ari and Draco peered around the corner in time to see, the troll. Ari could honestly say that she had never seen anything that disgusting in her life, and she lived with the Dursleys. It was twelve feet tall. Its skin was a dull, granite gray. Its great lumpy body was like a boulder with a small coconut on top, its head. Its legs were short, but they were also as thick as tree trunks. The only thing worse than its appearance was its smell. It was dragging a club behind it as it lumbered along.

Ari and Draco watched as it walked into a room at the end of the hall. Draco noticed the key in the door.

"Come on, we can lock it in and get a teacher," he said as he began to make his way towards the door.

Ari looked at him in disbelief as she grabbed his arm to stop him.

"What?" he asked not understanding why she was stopping him.

"Do you realize what room that is, Draco?" Ari inquired.

Draco shook his head at the same time that a loud high pitched scream could be heard coming from the room that the troll had just entered. Draco stared at Ari wide eyed as realization hit him.

"That's the girl's bathroom," Ari explained.

Ari jumped up and began to run, Draco following her.

"HERMIONE!" they both shouted as they entered the bathroom.

Already, three sinks were broken as were two of the bathroom stalls. Within seconds of entering, both Draco and Ari were soaked from the water shooting out of the broken pipes. Hermione was huddling in a corner and towering over her was the troll.

"Confuse it, Draco," Ari shouted as she picked up a broken piece of glass and threw it at the troll. All the while, she was trying to come up with a way to get all three of them out of this. Preferably alive.

Draco, began to levitate pieces of the toilets, stalls, pipes, and sinks to hit the troll. Ari saw that the troll was suitably distracted for a few minutes and ran over to try and get Hermione to move.

"Come on Hermione! We have to get out of here!"

It was no good. The girl was frozen in fright.

All of the noise and flying debris seemed to be driving the troll crazy. He began to charge Draco waving his club as he went. Ari turned and saw this. In that minute, she did something that would have had her mother raving and her father stuck between cheering and fretting. Ari took a running leap and jumped onto the back of the troll. She would later wonder how she was able to do that.

It took a few seconds; however, the troll did eventually realize that he had an unwanted passenger on his back. He ran around the confined space trying to shake off the hitch hiker. Ari noticed through her peripheral vision that Draco was dragging Hermione towards the door. Or at least trying to, the rampaging troll was making it kind of difficult.

As he dragged Hermione along, Draco worried about Ari. She wouldn't be able to hang on to that thing forever. Eventually, she would either fall off or would get whacked against something.

As though knowing his thoughts, the troll backed into a wall. The impact was hard enough for Ari to be stunned. She lost her grip on the troll and fell towards to the ground moaning.

"ARI!" Draco shouted as he watched the troll start to lumber towards his friend. There was no way that he could help her. He had his hands full with keeping Hermione standing. But, Ari needed to get up and move.

"ARI! GET UP!" he shouted trying to get through to her.

Ari moaned as she started to come to. Man, riding on a rampaging, bucking troll was not on her top ten list of fun things to do. At that moment, sound began to reach her. She registered that somebody was shouting. After a few seconds, she realized the voice was Draco's.

"ARI! MOVE YOUR REAR END!"

Why would he be telling her to move? As though in answer, she heard a roar of anger. Oh shoot! The troll.

Ari look up in time to see the troll swinging his club, right towards her. There was no where to move. The troll was in front of her, the wall behind her, broken pipes at her left and the club was coming at her from the right. She was stuck.

'No,' she thought when she saw the club, 'I still have to find my parents. We weren't even supposed to be in this stupid bathroom, and this troll wasn't supposed to be in the school.'

Ari saw Draco staring at her wide eyed from the entrance. Hermione was coming out of her shock and noticed the situation too.

"ARI!" Hermione screamed.

That did it. Ari screamed in frustration.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" She suddenly felt a tug in the bottom of her stomach. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the water from all the pipes changed from just spouting water everywhere to shooting straight at the troll.

The troll tried to fight against the water, but it just wound up getting pushed into a wall. Ari, Draco and Hermione watched as the water continued to shoot at the troll until it was unconscious from lack of oxygen.

'Good!' Ari thought.

As though agreeing with her, the water decreased in pressure and aim and went back to just spraying everything.

Ari stood up and walked over to Draco and Hermione.

"Are you two okay?" she asked, noticing that Hermione was still shaking.

"I think we should be the ones asking you that, Ari. You are the one that almost got clobbered by that thing," Draco deadpanned.

Ari just looked sheepish. At that moment, the door behind them opened and Professors Quirrell, Snape, and McGonagall came pouring into the room. They took a look at the scene before them in utmost shock.

Professor McGonagall turned on the trio, "Explain, now!"

All at once, the three erupted into explanations. The teachers tried to catch it all but quickly gave up.

"ENOUGH!" Professor Snape shouted. "One at a time. Granger."

"I was in here crying because of something that was said about me. Out of nowhere, the troll entered and started destroying stuff. I tried to squeeze myself into a corner; however, if it wasn't for Draco and Ari, I would be dead."

The teachers paled at this explanation. They had almost lost a student.

"Malfoy, explain," Professor McGonagall ordered. They needed all three sides of the tale.

"I was walking with the Slytherin first years when we merged with the Ravenclaw first years in the Entrance Hall. I watched as Ari tried to inform both Slytherin and Ravenclaw prefects that Hermione was in the bathroom and didn't know what was going on. We decided to try and find a professor before you were all in the dungeons. We were about to turn a corner when Ari heard the troll. She pulled me back, and we watched as it entered the bathroom."

He paused for a minute when he noticed that Professor McGonagall looked about ready to faint.

"Continue, Mr. Malfoy," she ordered.

Professor Snape couldn't believe that his godson was caught up in all of this.

"I was about to run up and turn the key in the lock when we heard a scream, and Ari informed me that it was the girl's bathroom. Seeing no other option we ran in with the hopes of grabbing Hermione, getting out, and locking the door. Ari and I began to throw debris at the troll to confuse it. I used the levitation charm to do that while Ari ran up to Hermione and tried to get her to move," here he stumbled. He didn't want to describe seeing Ari getting injured.

"Continue, Draco," his godfather instructed sensing the hesitation.

"The troll went berserk and started heading towards me; I was cornered. I don't know how she did it, but Ari jumped on the troll's back. While she was on her wild ride, I grabbed Hermione and dragged her over here. When I turned back, the troll backed into the wall Ari fell to the ground, stunned. As though sensing this, the troll took a swing at her. Ari screamed in pain or defiance, I am not sure which, and the water from the pipes started shooting at the troll. It didn't stop until the troll was unconscious. Then you came in."

If it was possible, the teachers were even more pale. Ari noticed though that Professor Quirrell only seemed to have eyes for the troll. Professor Snape turned to Ari. That would make twice in as many days that she had used water when highly emotional. There was no doubt now that it wasn't accidental magic.

"Miss Potter, explain," Professor Snape instructed.

Ari looked him right in the eyes, "I have nothing to add that hasn't been said before."

This surprised the teachers. They had never heard of a student not wanting to give their side of the story.

"Try," Professor Snape instructed.

"I tried to warn a prefect; when that failed Draco and I searched for a teacher. We ran into the troll. It went into the bathroom. We ran in to get Hermione, but Draco got cornered. I don't know what I did, but I somehow wound up on the troll's back. Draco dragged Hermione towards the door. The troll decided to be smart and backed into the wall, stunning me and causing me to lose my grip. I came to hearing Draco yelling at me and a club coming towards me. I screamed, the water reacted, the troll fell unconscious," Ari summarized.

The two professors looked at each other. Ari looked over at Professor Quirrell and noticed that he was now glaring at her.

"Alright, Miss Granger you will come with me back to Gryffindor Tower. Mr. Malfoy, Miss Potter, you will accompany Professor Snape. Miss Potter I want your head looked at. By the sounds of it, you took a hard hit. After that, you may return to your house."

The students nodded. They knew that they were lucky to not be getting points deducted or worse. Ari and Draco followed Professor Snape down to the dungeons. They stopped in front of a painting that Draco gave a password to. It swung open, and he went in.

"I am trusting that you will keep that silent, Miss Potter," Professor Snape commented looking down at the child.

"Yes, sir."

Professor Snape led her into his office.

"Sit."

Ari sat in the same chair that she had occupied just the day before. The professor sat in his chair and took a good look at her. While they were sitting, food appeared before both of them.

"Well, Miss Potter it seems that you have somewhat of an affinity for water."

"A what, sir?" Ari questioned.

"An affinity. It means that you can command it without uttering any spells. It is incredibly rare. Only doing it once can be passed as accidental magic; however, you have done it twice in two days," Professor Snape explained. He needed her to understand this if she was going to believe what he was going to tell her.

Ari stared at her professor in shock. How was this possible?

"However, I do not believe that it is an affinity with water in the normal sense," Professor Snape continued.

"What do you mean, sir?" Ari asked. Having a feeling that her life was about to become even more difficult and weird.

"Tell me Miss Potter. What do you know of the Greek legends?"

That question surprised Ari. It didn't seem to fit in with the topic.

"I don't understand, Professor."

"What do you not understand?"

"What do the legends of the Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes have to do with my affinity for water?"

There it was. That is what he wanted her to ask.

"Everything, Miss Potter. Now, answer my question please."

"I know that the gods each have their own the realm. They fought and beat the titans and giants."

Snape was glad that she wasn't mentioning any names. If she did, it could get very dangerous.

"I know that the goddess of magic, Hecate created our world," Ari continued.

Somehow, Ari got the sense that she was suddenly being watched. She turned to look around her but saw only her potions professor. Professor Snape watched her as she looked around. He knew that the gods heard every time that their name was mentioned. Since the child had just mentioned Lady Magic, more than likely she, if not more gods, was now watching. After all, it wasn't everyday that somebody outside of camp mentioned the gods.

"What else do you know?" he decided to continue the conversation.

Ari began to talk about the myths and legends that she had just recently begun to read.

 **oOo**

Elsewhere, the goddess of magic was watching the conversation between the potions professor and the mortal goddess. It was time. She sent out a call requesting an audience with the entire council. It was almost the winter solstice, so hopefully Zeus would allow Hades to attend. With those thoughts, she made her way to the Council Hall.

Once inside, she noticed that all twelve of the Olympians and Hestia were already present. She walked forwards and stood before Zeus.

"Why have you summoned us, Hecate?"

"There is a conversation occurring right now, in which my name was incited, and it concerns us all."

This grabbed everybody's attention. It wasn't often that Hecate's name was used in conversation by the mortals, except among her people. The council realized this, and their eyes widened. Hecate saw this and nodded.

"Yes, Zeus. It involves one of my people. We need Hades here."

Zeus decided, for once, not to argue with Hecate. He knew how protective she was of her 'pet project.' Just the fact that she had brought this before them meant that it was big. A few minutes later, Hades appeared and sat upon his guest throne. With all of that done, Hecate brought up the conversation, which was within her rights since her name was mentioned, and they listened.

Poseidon and Athena looked at the image of the girl that was brought up with suspicion. She looked like a mixture between them. But then that would mean that she was-. They looked at each other in shock and worry. A few of the smarter gods and goddesses were also starting to make a connection, but it didn't seem possible.

"Ok, you know the legends of the heroes and their deeds, but what of the gods?" the potions master that Hades recognized as his great-grandson questioned.

"Ummm…" Ari thought hard. "I know that even though many of them had wives or husbands, they tended to cheat on each other."

The gods looked at each other. Some with embarrassment and others with disgust.

Professor Snape's eyes widened, she was getting there, "Who did they cheat with?"

The Council quickly realized that the man was leading the child, trying to make her figure it out for herself.

"Other gods and goddesses," Ari's eyes widened. "And mortals. They had demigods; heroes."

"Yes," he looked at her expectantly. He knew that she would figure it out.

Ari thought hard. Meanwhile, the Council was waiting to see if the child would figure it out. It now made sense that Hecate had brought this before them. Somebody had been stupid enough to knock up one of her people. They knew the instant that she had figured it out because she turned severely pale and looked up at her teacher wide eyed.

"No! You can't be serious!" Ari yelled.

The gods shook their heads while the goddesses looked sympathetic. It was definitely life changing news; however, denial would not change it. Now, the child had to be claimed. They all waited for a sign to appear above the child, but none did. They looked at each other. Surely, the parent would claim her, but none did.

"You are, Ari. Denial does not fit one of Ravenclaw. Use your wisdom and mind. Figure it out," Professor Snape encouraged.

The entire Council turned towards Athena who was trying to sink into her chair. That was a big hint towards the child being hers; however, the child did not look like a 'brain child.' Artemis' eyes widened. She understood.

 _"You didn't Athena! You had a child!?"_ she yelled to her sister mentally.

Athena turned towards her sister, _"I didn't mean to at the time. However, watching her, I could not be more proud of her."_

Artemis was shocked, _"Claim her! You know that father has offered both of us to break our oath should we choose."_

Athena shook her head, _"I can't claim her. I promised."_

With that, she ended the conversation and turned back to her daughter who was still thinking.

"I know the epithets that my parents go by," Ari finally said. The gods and goddesses all leaned forward.

"Go on," Professor Snape encouraged.

"According to Hedwig, and the sorting hat," Professor Snape raised his eyebrows at the last one, "My parents are called Lady Wisdom and Lord Spontaneity."

The uproar on Mount Olympus was instantaneous.

"You had a child!"

"Woo, you go sis!"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Who is the father?"

"She isn't one of your normal children, she isn't blonde and doesn't know who her father is."

After a few minutes of these comments, Zeus decided that it was enough.

"SILENCE!" The room fell silent. "We will listen to the rest of the conversation and then decide what to do. Athena, we _will_ be talking later."

"Yes, father."

"What do you think the meaning of these names are?" he really wanted her to figure it out herself.

"I don't know. Now that you mention the legends, it seems kind of obvious that Lady Wisdom should be Lady Athena, but how?"

Professor Snape stopped at that comment. He had a feeling who her father was and that is where he had been leading the conversation, but he had completely forgotten about the girl's mother. If the child was indeed the daughter of who he thought and Lady Athena, then...oh gods! This just got a lot more complicated. He decided to continue on.

"And Lord Spontaneity?"

"I honestly don't know. If I am a demigod, he should be a mortal. But, I keep thinking about who is wise, can talk to owls and fish and now has an affinity for water, but I can't think of anybody. Lady Athena doesn't completely fit. She didn't have all the traits. That, and I believed it all to be just legends. That's why I didn't connect Lady Wisdom to Lady Athena when the epithet was first mentioned. I still don't see it. Where do the other powers come from if she is my godly parent? As far as I know, Lady Wisdom doesn't have an affinity for water."

The gods were impressed by the child's logic. However, it then begged the questions. Who was the child's father, and where did the extra powers come from?

It was obvious that the child was still trying to only figure out which single god or goddess was her parent. However, thinking about what he had just thought, it seemed that they were going to need some help. Severus Snape prided himself on being a patient man, but even this was trying his patience.

"We are going to call some people. Come here," He walked over to a jar and pulled out a weird looking coin. At first, Ari thought that it was a galleon, but the design was wrong.

"What are we doing, sir?"

"Trying to get some information." With that, he used his wand to create a rainbow and said, "Oh, goddess, accept our offering."

He threw in the coin, "Mount Olympus Council Hall!"

Before the gods could react the Iris-message appeared before them. It showed the Professor and student that they had been watching. Professor Snape's eyes widened He had only been expecting to get whatever god was present, not the _entire council_!

He quickly bowed his head and forced Ari to bow hers.

"Wha-" Ari began as he forced her head down.

"Be silent and still Potter. Don't move or speak until told to," Professor Snape hissed to his student urging her to listen to him.

The gods stared at the message until Hecate rolled her eyes and decided to help the two.

"What is it you wish to speak to us about, Severus Snape, descendant of Hades, and Ari Potter, unclaimed?"

The two in the message slowly rose.

"We wish for some help, my lady," he kept his voice respectful.

"Then ask, we shall try to help you if we are able," Hades replied coming out of his shock. It was not often that his great-grandson called for help.

"Thank you, sir. I have discovered a demigod with a most peculiar set of talents. I believed her to have one parent; however, while trying to get her figure it out, she guessed a different parent."

"Yes, that does seem to be a dilemma," Artemis spoke.

"What talents does the child possess?" Zeus asked.

They had all heard the conversation, but they wanted to make sure that they hadn't missed anything during the outbursts.

Severus began to speak but was interrupted by Hestia.

"Let us hear it from the child herself," she recommended.

The Council nodded in agreement. Severus Snape bowed and motioned Ari forward.

"Tell them what you have told me," he instructed.

Ari looked at the group of people in the message and was instantly reminded of her dream.

"I discovered a month before my last birthday that I have an ability to speak to and understand snakes."

This caused the council to turn towards Hermes who shook his head.

"She is not mine. Sorry little one," he said the last part to the child in the message.

Ari nodded to the man and continued, "That same day after returning home, I reasoned that the voices I heard were the fish and sea creatures kept there."

The uproar was instantaneous.

"YOU BROKE THE OATH!" Zeus and Hades both yelled.

They looked about ready to attack the King of the Sea when their three sisters intervened.

"Peace brothers, you forget the fact of the child's mother. Let us hear _everything_ before we decide which, if any, of the oaths have been broken," Demeter reasoned.

Poseidon sent his sister a smile. She nodded in return. She had a feeling that this child was not a normal demigod.

When the yelling had started, Severus had pulled Ari back. He knew it wouldn't help, but he would try. After calming down, the gods saw how scared the child now looked and looked sheepishly at each other. This child had asked for help; they should not be fighting.

"Continue little one," Demeter spoke calmly.

Ari nodded and stepped forward again. However, this time, her professor stayed within arm's reach of her.

"The day before my birthday, I discovered another gift. I was able to talk to the owl that brought me my school letter. A conversation that I had with her a while ago, revealed that Lady Wisdom sent her to look after me. I asked her if she knew who my parents were. She said she did, but she couldn't tell me. She said that Lady Magic said I had to discover this for myself."

The Council was now looking at both Athena and Hecate. They were starting to feel really sorry for the child. She had the facts dangling in front of her, but she couldn't get a straight answer. Hecate looked at the child. She had to figure it out on her own.

"Please continue, anything else?" Hecate asked.

Now, Ari had been watching the reactions and was starting to put some missing pieces together based on how they were reacting.

"I have guessed that Lady Wisdom should be Lady Athena; however, Lord Spontaneity is proving more difficult. I keep thinking that he should be a mortal; however, then there is the issue that I have a water affinity that has made itself known both yesterday and today."

Poseidon leaned forward, "Explain the incidents." He wasn't stupid. He knew that even though Hecate had brought it before the council, and now the teacher had called them, Ari still had to figure it out herself.

"I got angry at another student for picking on some of my friends. I tried to control my temper, but the next thing I knew, I heard a wave in my ear and people screaming. From what I could see afterwards, she was the only one that got wet. Not even the ground was wet."

This surprised the gods. That was very powerful and at so young an age too.

"The next incident just happened when I was being attacked by a troll."

The gods paled. She had already been attacked!

"I got cornered, and the next thing I know is that the water in the pipes pretty much all but drowned it."

Everybody looked at each other. The girl was lucky to be alive.

"What is it you are having trouble with?" Apollo asked. The girl was fascinating to him. She didn't know what she was, and yet she was already so powerful.

Here Professor Snape answered, "As stated, my Lord, we have guessed that she is a demigod, but she seems to fit with the parentage of two gods. I wish to know if-"

Ari then had an epiphany as the final pieces began to click into place, "Lady Athena and Lord Poseidon! They are the two that make up my powers."

Professor Snape looked down at his student and smiled while nodding. She had figured it out.

He turned back to the gods who were smiling at the two, "Our question is, is it really only one or is it two?"

At this, some of the gods started chuckling while others raised their eyebrows. All were watching Ari as she seemed to continue to think. She almost had it.

'So much like her mother,' was the thought going through many heads. Because, yes, they had all figured it out. Yes, they would be having a _long_ discussion about this but not until the call was over and the child was out of hearing distance.

They all knew she had it when her eyes lit up.

"They are both my parents! Lord Poseidon is Lord Spontaneity and Lady Athena is Lady Wisdom! Lord Spontaneity is a god not a mortal."

The gods nodded. Severus Snape paled. He had thought that a possibility, but he had wanted to be sure.

"Do you realize what that makes you, child?" Hera asked.

Ari thought for a second and then paled.

"I'm not a demigod. I'm a... but how... I mean, wouldn't… why am I?" Ari couldn't seem to finish any of her questions. They all knew that she knew what she was. Now, she needed to come to terms. Hecate stepped forward again.

"I believe that it is time to end this conversation. The child needs rest and to think on what she has learned."

The Council nodded in agreement. It was one thing to learn that you were a demigod. But to learn that you were somehow a mortal-raised goddess was something entirely different. There was also the fact that the child had apparently been attacked just a while ago.

Hades stood up and addressed his great-grandson, "Severus, I recommend you begin her training. She is going to need it. See that she gets to camp come summer."

"I will do so, Sir," Severus answered. He had already been planning on teaching her. On the bright side, he now knew where she would be going the first half of her summer instead of the Dursleys'.

With that, Severus and Ari gave a final bow, and Severus cancelled the call. He then turned to his student who he could see was still trying to process it all.

"Ari," he called trying not to startle her.

She still jumped but turned towards him and nodded.

"I recommend that you head to bed. Report here tomorrow at nine, and we will try and make sense of what we have just learned."

Ari nodded. With that, Professor Snape took a quick look at Ari's head injury, and then escorted her back to Ravenclaw Tower. It was well past her curfew. When she entered, it was to find all the prefects and the entire Quidditch team sitting around reading books. They all turned to her the instant that she was in the door.

"Ari!" Emily shouted as she ran over to the girl.

Ari stopped herself from taking an involuntary step back as Emily and Gwen led Ari over to the couch. Gwen handed her a cup of water.

"What happened? All Professor Flitwick would tell us is that you and two others were attacked by the troll and that you got hurt!" Alex questioned.

The others all nodded. They had all been worried when they noticed that the girl was not with them when they had made it to the tower. After finding out from the Slytherins that Draco was missing, they really started to worry. Gwen had mentioned that Ari had been trying to tell her something.

The Quidditch team was hovering in the background, at least those that weren't prefects. Ari had quickly become a close friend of theirs, and the fact that she was a first year and extremely small for her age made them all feel even more protective of her.

"Professor Snape took me to his office. Once there, he looked at my head to make sure it was ok. He kept me for a while longer to make sure that there were no bad side effects of the fall. While there, I had dinner. As soon as he was certain that I was fine, he walked me back," Ari explained. She shuffled around a few of the events and left out some major ones, but they didn't need to know about the gods.

The prefects nodded. That is what they had thought, but they had wanted to make sure. Based on how pale Professor Flitwick had been, they had guessed that Ari had to have been seriously hurt. They could see some scrapes and bruises on her from the attack. They were just happy that it wasn't worse.

After a few more minutes of being reassured that she was okay, Gwen and Trenton dismissed everybody to bed. It was already midnight. They needed sleep, and it had been a long day.

 **xXx**


	11. Chapter 10

**This chapter was beta'd by the wonderful Lady of Something**

 **xXx**

 **Chapter 10**

As soon as the call ended, all of the gods and goddesses turned towards Athena and Poseidon. Both looked as though they wanted to sink into their chairs. After a few moments of awkward silence, Hecate decided to speak.

"Well, I, for one, am pleased that she solved it that quickly." Everybody turned and looked at the minor goddess. "Athena, Poseidon, I recommend that you explain _everything_. Also, remember that while you may now interact with your daughter, she still lives amongst my people."

"Are you going to stop blocking us from watching our daughter?" Poseidon asked Hecate accusingly with a glare.

The gods turned to look at Athena for an explanation.

"We have been trying to watch over her; however, there are times when we are not able to see her. We have guessed that this is Hecate's doing even though she said we could watch over Ari."

Poseidon nodded. Zeus turned towards Hecate.

"The child may be amongst your people; however, you have no right to prevent her parents from watching over her. They have already agreed to not interfere with your people, and that should be enough."

Hecate nodded. She had probably gone a bit too far. Even she didn't watch over the child all the time, and whenever she did look, the girl was doing chores. She didn't have time to watch over one little girl constantly. She had to monitor an entire hidden civilization, plus her children, as well as the Mist. Like every god, sometimes things were forgotten.

"Very well, you may monitor her at will."

With all of that said, Hecate flashed out of the council chamber. After she left, all of the gods began to ask questions at once.

"When did this happen?!"

"I think that is obvious _idiot_! Why did this happen?"

"Yay for Pothena!"

"What's Pothena?"

"The shipping name for Poseidon and Athena, duh!"

"WE ARE NOT TOGETHER!"

After another ten minutes that consisted of questions such as: how did we miss this, why didn't you tell us, why is your daughter a mortal, how did she wind up with Hecate's 'pet project,' and does Amphitrite know, Zeus finally called a halt to the questions.

"We need answers, and we _will_ get them," he emphasized the last part while looking directly at his brother and daughter. "Now first-"

"If I might interrupt, brother?" Hestia interjected.

Zeus nodded to his eldest sister. While she had given up her seat for Dionysus, her council was always appreciated.

"I recommend that we follow the advice that we gave to the child and sleep on what we have learned. We can reconvene tomorrow with clear heads."

Some of the gods and goddesses immediately started to argue. They wanted to know how Athena and Poseidon had got over their differences enough to have a _child_ together. All of the arguing was brought to a halt though by Aphrodite.

"I recommend that we do as Hestia has recommended. After all, you do _not_ want to see me without my beauty sleep."

At this, all the gods and goddesses paled. The last time that Aphrodite had been without her sleep, well - let's just say they had not heard the end of it yet. Very quickly, they began to flash out.

"Everybody be here at 8:30, and Poseidon bring Amphitrite and Triton," Zeus ordered before leaving with Hera.

Apollo and Artemis left next needing to find a replacement for the sun and moon chariots. They had a feeling that they were going to be busy the next couple of days. Hephaestus left with a grunt to return to his forges. Hermes turned on his phone, and as he left, everybody could hear Martha informing him of 3000 missed calls, 50,728 new texts, and 591 new emails. Hestia and Hades left without anybody noticing, not that that was unusual. Demeter left to try and convince her daughter that she should leave Hades. Aphrodite giggled as she pulled Ares away. Nobody wanted to know what they had planned. Dionysus left complaining about the brats that he had to return to. He had stalled for as long as he could before he knew that he was going to get in trouble if he stayed any longer. In the end, the only two left were Athena and Poseidon.

As soon as they were alone, they walked towards the lounge to talk. They walked in silence and remained silent after they arrived. Neither wanting to be the first to talk. It was finally Poseidon that spoke first.

"Well, how do we explain this to the council? Better yet, how do we explain our decision to Ari?" he questioned.

Athena sighed. For once, she honestly had no answer. They couldn't just tell the child not to question their actions like they would normally do because she had every right to want to know why.

"Let's focus on the council first. Ari is in school right now and needs to focus on that. And you heard Hades, Severus will be sending her to camp this summer."

Poseidon nodded, "And the council? We can't just put that off until the summer."

"We tell them the truth. We have no choice," Athena reasoned. "They know about her now so there is no point in lying. We always knew that it would come out in the end."

That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear; however, it was what he had expected. After a few minutes of silence, Athena turned towards Poseidon.

"I would seriously recommend that you inform Amphitrite and Triton _before_ they arrive here tomorrow."

Poseidon almost flinched. That was going to be the hardest part about all of this. Telling his wife and son. He knew that their marriage was not a happy one, and this was only going to hurt it even more. His wife hadn't even wanted to marry him to begin with. He could only hope that they didn't decide to take their anger out on Ari. He _would_ intervene if they did.

"I was already planning on telling them. I would rather that the yelling happened away from Mount Olympus where everybody can hear it."

Athena nodded. For once, her rival was being logical about a situation. With all of this said, Poseidon and Athena stood up and parted ways. Athena left to get some sleep and Poseidon left to get yelled at by his wife.

Upon returning to Atlantis, Poseidon was greeted by Delphin.

"My Lord! What was the emergency? Surely, anything minor could have waited until the solstice in a few months."

Poseidon could tell that his advisor was nervous. An emergency meeting of the council had not happened since what the mortals call World War II. Therefore, it was worrying that he was all of a sudden summoned to Mount Olympus this evening.

"There is no emergency, Delphin. Hecate wished to make something known to the council, and we are meeting up again tomorrow," He looked at the time and sighed. "Well, more like later today. Where are Amphitrite and Triton?"

"The queen is in the meeting hall, and the prince is in the game room," Delphin answered immediately.

Poseidon smiled. His son loved that room, and it had taken almost three decades to finish it. He decided that he should just inform them together. They were both going to be upset, and he just wanted to go to bed.

"Delphin, have Triton meet me in the meeting hall."

"Yes, my lord," Delphin answered and then left to do as told.

Poseidon began making his way towards the meeting hall. He knew that Triton wouldn't arrive for about ten minutes, and he didn't want to be in the room longer than absolutely necessary. He arrived in the room, after stalling and getting something to eat in the kitchens, right as his son entered the room. Inside, his wife was greeting their son with a warm hug. Poseidon smiled. Then Amphitrite and Triton noticed his presence.

"My Lord! You are back!"

"Father, is everything alright? What caused the council to be summoned?"

Poseidon held up his hand for silence. He knew that they would continue to ask questions if he didn't stop them now. They immediately fell silent.

"Sit down please. We have much to discuss."

The queen and prince were immediately on edge. The tone of voice meant that something serious had taken place, and they were not going to like it one bit. Poseidon took a deep breath and then started.

"As both of you are well aware, this evening the council was summoned to Olympus by Hecate."

Both nodded. That they had known. However, what they wanted to know was what Hecate had wanted.

"Hecate's name was invoked by somebody outside of camp."

Amphitrite and Triton's eyes widened. Hecate's name was only invoked normally by her people, and even that was becoming rare. Triton began to laugh as he caught on.

"Who was the idiot that decided to anger Hecate by knocking up one of her 'pet projects?'"

Amphitrite smiled. If that was the entire issue- But her husband was still looking serious.

"That isn't the issue is it?" she questioned her husband.

Poseidon shook his head, and Triton immediately stopped laughing.

"You both know that occasionally I am given a project to work with one of the other gods."

They nodded.

"There was a project about twelve years ago that I worked with Athena."

"The one for better housing in the southern part of Olympus," Triton interjected.

He made it a point to know what projects were being worked on by his father so that he could help. Amphitrite meanwhile was getting a very unsettling feeling. Poseidon nodded to his son.

"Yes, well," it was about to get very awkward. "While working on the plans, Athena and I argued, like normal and also had a _few_ drinks. Neither of us remembers much of that night. The only thing that we remember is the end results."

Amphitrite and Triton both began to understand. Triton's eyes widened, and Amphitrite's narrowed dangerously.

"And what, dear husband, were the end results?" Amphitrite asked in a clipped voice.

"A daughter by the name of Ari," Poseidon answered in a rushed voice that was barely a whisper.

Despite the whisper, both of the occupants in the room heard the answer, and the reaction was instantaneous.

"YOU CHEATED ON ME AGAIN!"

"Father, how could you?!"

"DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT OUR MARRIAGE?"

"Why can't you be happy that you have me?"

"DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT _ME_? YOU ARE GOING TO RENOUNCE HER!"

"Is she coming here?"

Poseidon allowed them to get the yelling out of their systems before he finally held up a hand once more for silence.

"Yes, I cheated on you, Amphitrite. Yes, I care about our marriage. Yes, son I am very proud of you. However, no, I will not renounce my daughter, and yes, she will eventually be coming to stay here. Therefore, you had both better find a way to accept it or, at the very least, tolerate it."

With that stated, he made his way towards to the door. Once he reached it, he remembered the other part of Zeus' orders.

"You are both to be in the Council hall on Olympus by 8:30 in the morning. So, I recommend going to bed."

Amphitrite stood up and strolled gracefully over to her husband.

"You are on the couch, _My Lord_ ," with that, she walked gracefully out of the room.

Poseidon nodded. He hadn't expected anything less. He watched as his son walked over to him.

"I will withhold judgment on her, father. However, I am displeased with this treatment of mother."

With that, Triton walked off to get a couple hours of sleep. Poseidon sighed. That had gone better than he had thought it would. However, he knew that he would not be getting any sleep here, so he flashed himself back to Olympus and went to sleep in the rooms that he had there.

 **oOo**

Ari awoke the next morning feeling as though she hadn't slept at all. She rolled out of her bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Since it was the weekend, she decided to wear a pair of jeans and an emerald green sweater that clung to her body. After she was dressed, she headed up to the common room to head down to breakfast.

She arrived in the common room to find Keina, Faye, and Caillen waiting for her. Also in the room was Torrence, Wesley, and Serra. Wesley was Trenton's younger brother. She walked further into the room, and everybody stood up. Faye ran over to her.

"Are you ok? We heard that you got attacked by the troll along with Draco and Hermione. What were you doing near the troll? We were all so worried when we couldn't find you. The prefects got upset because Gwen realized that you had tried to tell her something, but she didn't listen. We wanted to wait for you to return, but Professor Flitwick sent us to bed. When did you get back? Where you hurt too badly?"

The questions and random comments continued for a few minutes with Ari smiling indulgently at her friend, and the others subtly looking Ari over as though to try and find an injury.

"Alright, Faye. That's enough. Let Ari answer," Caillen interrupted.

Everybody turned to look at Ari.

"I'm fine, guys. Professor Snape made sure of it before walking me back to the common room."

Everybody nodded to that. They had just wanted to make sure that she was really ok. The prefects and Quidditch team had been nervous this morning when they came up to the common room. Serra stepped forward and gave Ari a look that was full of concern.

"Did Professor Snape say anything about you continuing to play Quidditch?" she didn't want to make this about Quidditch. However, she needed to know now if she needed to find another seeker.

Ari gave her an understanding smile.

"I should know by lunch. Professor Snape wants me to come down to his office today after breakfast to make sure that I am absolutely okay."

Serra nodded. The team was worried that the first year had been seriously hurt. She had volunteered to stay up here until Ari came out to make sure that she was alright, and that she could still play.

With all of that settled, the group made its way down to the Great Hall. The good news was that breakfast was served until nine on the weekends. Therefore, it didn't matter that they were running a bit late. Ari arrived in the Great Hall to find her friends waving at her from the Ravenclaw table. Tomorrow they would be moving back to the Gryffindor table. Ari walked over. She knew that she was about to be questioned for the fifth time about what had happened the night before. She sat down and began to fill up a plate. She still wasn't eating the full requirement for her age yet, but she was working up to it.

She looked up to notice that all of her friends were looking at her as the Quidditch team and prefects looked at her from further down the table.

Ari sighed. "Alright, ask."

"How badly were you hurt?" Draco asked immediately.

Ari raised an eyebrow at him, "You were there Draco. You know what happened."

"Yeah, but I don't know how badly you were hurt. Last I saw you, you were bleeding from a wound in the back of your head."

Hermione gasped and her eyes widened.

"You told them what happened?"

Draco nodded.

"Well, at least that makes this a bit easier. Professor Snape took me to his office and cleaned up the wound. While waiting to see if there were any bad side effects, we ate and talked. I have to go back again this morning for him to check one last time. If I am fine, he will clear me for Quidditch."

At this last sentence, the team sighed in relief. Others meanwhile rolled their eyes in exasperation.

A few minutes later, the mail arrived via owl like every other morning. However, what was not normal this morning was the flock of six owls carrying a long parcel. The package with a letter was dropped in front of Ari. Five of the owls flew away; however, one, Hedwig, stayed.

 _"The package contains your new broom, m'lady. Stern faced teacher states in the letter that you are not to open it at the table."_

Ari nodded her understanding to the owl. She decided that she would ask Keina to take it up to the tower while she went to talk to Professor Snape. Ari opened the letter.

 **Miss Potter,**

 **DO NOT OPEN THE PACKAGE AT THE TABLE! Inside, you will find your new broom. The money was taken from your vault to pay for it. Remember that this is a privilege that can be removed.**

 **Professor McGonagall**

"Keina-"

"Yeah, Ari."

"I have to go see Professor Snape this morning. Can you take the package back to the tower for me?"

"Sure, no problem. I'll put it on your bed."

Ari nodded her thanks and continued to eat.

After eating as much as she could, Ari stood up and started to head towards the exit. Draco immediately stood up and began to walk with her.

Ari raised her eyebrow at him, "Do you need anything Draco?"

"No, just want to make sure that you don't get lost on your way to Professor Snape's office."

Now Ari rolled her eyes at him.

"Draco, you do realize that I have been to his office twice in the last two days, now three times in three days. I am pretty sure that I know my way."

Draco blushed at this. Ari giggled and continued to walk down into the dungeons. After a few minutes, they arrived at the door that led to Professor Snape's office. Ari knocked on the door. Professor Snape answered the door a few seconds later.

"Well, get in here, Miss Potter. We have much to discuss." Here he seemed to notice Draco's presence. "Mister Malfoy, I believe that you have homework that you could be doing. Miss Potter will be fine. Now, move along. If you have time to be loitering in the halls, then I clearly need to assign longer essays."

Draco stared at his professor in disbelief. He was never that harsh to the Slytherins at least not publicly. He looked to Ari who nodded to him that she was indeed ok. With that, Draco left to go finish some of his homework.

After Draco left, Professor Snape led Ari through his office and through a door in the back. Once through the door, Ari realized that she had been led into what must be Professor Snape's personal quarters. The room was a forest green with the furniture being of different shades of brown. Overall, the room was calming.

"Take a seat, Miss Potter. As I informed you before, we have much to discuss." Professor Snape's voice pulled Ari out of her musings.

Ari took a seat in the lounge chair across from Professor Snape. This was going to be a long day.

 **oOo**

While Ari was waking up and enjoying breakfast with her friends, the Olympian council was getting ready for its own meeting. The topic: Ari, the no longer secret daughter of Poseidon and Athena. Many of the Olympians arrived in the kitchen on Olympus for breakfast. None, however, were talking. It wasn't until Poseidon walked in that everybody realized just what had happened.

"She kicked you out?" Hestia asked in surprise.

They were all surprised. Yes, the queen of the sea had one hell of a temper, but she had _never_ kicked Poseidon out of Atlantis for something.

"No, she kicked me to the couch. So, I decided to stay in my rooms here until she calms down."

Everybody nodded. That seemed like a reasonable thing to do. No need to make the fire bigger than it already was. At about five to 8:30, Zeus stood up and began to make his way to the Council Hall. The rest of the gods followed him. They arrived to find Hades, Amphitrite and Triton already present.

The gods took their seats and began to discuss the issues.

"Well, brother, do you and my daughter wish to tell us exactly what happened?" Zeus questioned. It sounded like they had an option, but all knew that it was an order.

Athena stood up. She knew that Poseidon had already had to explain this once. Plus, he would probably forget details knowing the kelp-head.

"Poseidon and I were assigned the task of planning the remodeling of the southern part of Olympus. As everybody knows, many of the houses there are archaic and in desperate need of repair."

The entire council nodded. They all knew of this. Many of the minor gods and goddesses had been complaining about the housing there for at least the past three centuries if not longer.

"Poseidon and I met up to finalize the plans before we presented them before the council; however, sometime between arguing and the few drinks that we had the memory goes a bit blurry. The next clear memory that we have is waking up the next morning and me throwing him out of my house with the threat to never mention it again."

Many on the council began to chuckle at the image that this summary brought up. After the humor of the situation that two of the bitterest rivals in their history had found themselves in died down, Zeus stood up.

"So, you mean to tell me that while you were supposed to be working on a project that I had assigned, you got drunk, had sex and then kicked my brother, your uncle, out of your house?"

Athena blushed and nodded. She felt like a naughty child that had been caught stealing a cookie.

"And you brother, anything to add?"

Poseidon shook his head. Athena had pretty much summed it up.

"Then let's discuss."

"What I want to know is why we were not informed back when the child was born," Artemis brought up.

This statement was followed by nods from the majority of the council. Athena and Poseidon looked at each other trying to decide who would take this topic.

 _"You were the one scared about your oath."_

 _"I know that, but I answered the last question."_

 _"I don't care._ You _were the one that insisted that we could not raise her._ You _take this question."_

Poseidon knew for a fact that this question was all Athena's. It was her oath that was broken.

"That was my doing," Athena spoke up. Poseidon caught her eye and gave her an encouraging nod.

"To be honest, I was worried and scared. I had managed to keep my oath intact for well over five thousand years. I didn't want to face what would happen when it came out that it was broken."

The goddesses looked sympathetic at this confession. Artemis understood the best what Athena must have gone through. She herself had almost broken her oath a couple times. Everybody was drawn back to Athena as she continued.

"I convinced Poseidon that Ari was better off being raised as a mortal. That way, we could have time to approach the topic calmly. However, Poseidon and I never brought it up. It never seemed to be the right time. I almost brought up sending her to camp five years ago when Annabeth was on her way to camp. But, then the tragedy with Thalia happened, and I couldn't bring myself to pull her away from the safety she had amongst Hecate's people."

"Why were you thinking about sending her to camp? She would have been only six," Demeter asked.

"I thought at the time that it would do Annabeth some good to have somebody at camp around the same age as herself. Also, I would have then been able to keep a clear eye on my daughter."

Poseidon understood. He, too, had almost asked Hecate on more than one instance to bring Ari to the camp.

"I am curious as to how well the child is taking the news. We all saw how shell-shocked she was at the end of the call last night," Hestia put in kindly from over by her fire.

"Sister come over here and join in the conversation," Hades beckoned to his older sister. He summoned up another guest throne right beside his. Hestia smiled as she took a seat.

After Hestia was seated beside Hades, Demeter voiced her opinion, "I agree with Hestia. The child was definitely in shock yesterday. If anything, we should make sure that she is ok."

Amphitrite did not look pleased at this idea. Triton looked curious about what his sister was like.

"Agreed, if the child is one of us, we need to know that she is not a danger, to herself or us."

Poseidon glared at his brother for the last part of that comment.

"Ease up on the glare, Poseidon," Athena snapped, "Father has every right to be worried. We left an immortal child to be raised as a mortal. She now knows the truth. Most would feel at the least resentment if not complete hatred towards their parents for doing this to them."

Poseidon sighed and nodded. He knew that they were right. However, he also knew based on what he had seen of his daughter last night and the glimpses of her childhood that she was a very loving and forgiving child. With these thoughts in mind, Poseidon nodded and brought up an image of Ari for all to see. He and Athena were both pleased to see that there was no interference in the image this time. It was a clear image.

The gods watched as Ari was led by Professor Snape into a sitting room. All looked closely at the child in question. It was obvious that she had not slept well the night before and was zoning out easily. Triton looked curiously, not that he would admit it, at the girl that was his first non-monster immortal sister.

They all watched as the child jumped at the sound of her teacher.

"Take a seat, Miss Potter. As I informed you before, we have much to discuss."

The gods leaned forward. It appeared as though the conversation between the teacher and student was only just about to begin. The child took a seat across from her teacher and still looked very uncomfortable.

"Father, what did you say her name was again?" Triton questioned. If he was going to be seeing the girl for the rest of eternity, he might as well know her name. He was not, however, going to start caring about the girl who looked like a strong wind would blow her over.

Poseidon smiled at his son. He knew that there was no hope that Amphitrite would come to care for Ari; however, Triton, in his own way, normally came to care about his half siblings. The only time that he didn't was when they were blatantly disrespectful to the gods. However, he had eventually come to care for his sons Theseus, Orion, and Bellerophon. He kept the smile as he answered his son.

"Her name is Ari, Triton."

Triton looked in surprise at his father. How had they missed that?

"The Greek name for superior; best of thinkers. Also, Arabic for brings rain. Her parentage is right in her name."

The others looked surprised at this. They had missed the obvious. They turned back to the conversation.

"Well, Miss Potter, we have much to discuss."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you want to tell me what you are thinking?" He knew that he needed to get her to open up about what they had discovered yesterday if she was going to accept it.

Ari looked right at her professor.

"I am confused. I mean I know that you told me that I was adopted by the Potters. I know that after they were murdered that I was sent to live with the Dursleys. But, why didn't they bother to check up on me?"

It looked as though Ari was starting to let all of her hurt feelings from her childhood out. All the feelings of neglect and abandonment were coming out now that she knew that there were people who cared about her.

"I mean even you, a complete stranger, was able to see what was going on in the house not even ten minutes after meeting me."

The gods looked at each other. What did that mean? Murdered? What was going on in that house? Poseidon and Athena looked at each other in worry and concern. Hecate had promised them that Ari was safe. If she wasn't-.

"Ari," Professor Snape spoke calmly trying to get the child to understand. "The gods are very busy. Very often, more often than it probably should, they tend to let things slide through the cracks. Unfortunately, most of the time, what falls through the cracks are their mortal children. I can almost guarantee you though that none of them would have stood for what happened to you in that house."

Ari nodded; lost in thought. She hadn't fully told Professor Snape what happened to her in the Dursleys'. All that she had done was confirmed that they abused her.

The gods were looking at the parents of this child. It was obvious to all involved that the mortals were going to be experiencing some nasty weather today. Poseidon and Athena were pissed and may the gods have mercy on whoever was on the other side of their wrath! Though more likely than not, there would be no mercy from the other gods because, if the implications were true, then little Ari was abused, and that was unacceptable.

"HECATE!" the two irate parents shouted for all to hear.

All the minor gods and goddesses of Olympus looked towards the Council Hall all thinking the same thing, 'What did Hecate do to piss off both Athena _and_ Poseidon?'

The children that lived at Camp Half-blood year round looked to the lake that was suddenly very angry. The counselors quickly called everybody out of the lake. There was no need to have anybody getting killed because somebody had stupidly decided to piss off the sea god. The waves continued to crash on to the beach with no signs of calming anytime soon. Oh yeah, somebody had made Poseidon very angry.

Hecate appeared before the council within seconds of being summoned. She took one look at the irate faces of Athena and Poseidon and knew that she had missed something.

"May I ask why I have been summoned?"

Poseidon stood up off of his throne and pointed to the image that Hecate was only just now noticing. Her eyes widened as she saw Ari looking like she was about ready to cry, be sick, or both.

"You can explain how you let this happen to her!" Poseidon yelled for all to hear. He was mad, and he was letting it be known.

Everybody flinched. It had been a long time since Poseidon had been made this mad.

"Hecate, I recommend that you just listen and then explain," Hades drawled. If his brother's temper was not calmed soon, he was going to have a lot of work when he returned to the underworld. Oh joy.

The immortals tuned back in in time to see Severus try and pull Ari out of her thoughts.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he cringed at the cliché. However, he knew that she needed to open up.

Ari gave him a weak smile. She knew what he was trying to do and appreciated the attempt. She knew that she needed to tell somebody what happened in that house; however, it was hard. She took a deep breath and nodded. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Let's start with something simple, Miss Potter."

Ari nodded again.

"You are much too thin and small for your age-"

The immortals all nodded in agreement. They had noticed that yesterday, but it was much more noticeable today. Triton and Amphitrite were scrutinizing the child. Amphitrite could not believe that this _girl_ was going to be a _princess_ of Atlantis. She looked much too plain. Triton on the other hand was wondering what had happened to her.

"Did your, for lack of a better term, _relatives_ feed you three _full_ meals a day?"

Ari shook her head and looked down at her feet. Hecate's eyes widened now understanding why Athena and Poseidon were so angry.

"I didn't know," she whispered, but everybody heard her.

"What did they feed you?"

Ari shrugged, "It depended."

"On what?"

"If I finished my chores on time, did as I was told and wasn't a freak. If I did all of that, I _might_ be permitted a piece of bread or the scraps from the meal."

Now, it was not just Athena and Poseidon that were pissed, but also the other gods. Nobody should treat a child like that, let alone one of theirs. Even Ares was angry. It wasn't often that he agreed with his family; however, in this case, he would make an exception. The only person that did not seem to feel angry on behalf of the child was Amphitrite.

Most began to make plans about what they were going to do to the Dursleys, but first, they had to find them. Hecate was refusing to tell them where the house was located.

Hestia was sitting on her throne still watching the image. She knew where the child's house was located because she had been there before. Of course, she had never known who the child was. She watched as Severus asked another question, and Ari began to answer.

"If you all keep yelling, you are going to miss more important information. Let's save the homicide planning until after the meeting."

The council looked sheepish as they retook their seats and tuned back into the conversation in the image.

"-didn't want me. I was viewed as a burden. My good for nothing parents went and got themselves killed leaving their normal, respectable relatives to take care of their infant freak. My aunt never liked my mom. When I started doing accidental magic, it became all the more apparent that I wasn't normal. That's when Uncle Vernon began his 'lessons.'"

"What did he do during these lessons?" Professor Snape was having a lot of trouble controlling his temper. He would definitely be showing this memory to Dumbledore, and he would see to it personally that the child never returned.

"He would take me down to the basement. Once there, it would depend on what I had done," Ari answered with a shrug. She really didn't want to go into the details of the memories that were running through her head at that moment.

After a few minutes, Severus spoke up.

"Ari," Ari refused to look up, "Do you want to tell me anything else?"

Ari shook her head.

"How about just telling me how far it went?"

If the man had hurt the girl sexually there would be even more hell to pay then there was already going to be. The gods were thinking the same way that Severus was. Athena, Artemis, Hestia, and Demeter looked about ready to cry. Triton felt sympathy for his half-sister and wasn't sorry for it. Poseidon, Hades, Zeus and some of the others looked ready to kill. The three brothers looked at each other and nodded. Yes, they didn't always get along, but for this, they would work together. Ari was not returning to that house.

Ari looked up at her professor, "What do you mean?"

Severus grimaced, he really didn't want to talk about the foul things that man could have done to the child but he needed to know so that he could help her.

"Did he ever touch you in any inappropriate ways that didn't involve hitting you?"

Ari shook her head, "No, and he never touched me skin on skin. He always used something else to hit me during his lessons. They seemed to get the idea that my freakishness would spread if they touched me directly. Also, it was never enough to prevent my being able to do chores and never in places that could be seen in public."

"So, he never broke any bones?"

"Not him, no."

"Explain, please."

This topic Ari could handle. Anything that wasn't the basement really or what fully happened in the 'lessons.'

"Dudley was the one responsible for any broken bones. He enjoyed beating up on me, pushing me down the stairs or just plain hurting me. The only good news was that he couldn't catch me that often. Uncle Vernon, though, didn't like it when I couldn't do my chores. The one time that I had to be taken to the hospital due to broken ribs, a fractured wrist, a concussion and a broken leg was the only time that I actually saw Dudley get in trouble. After that, it was always bruises, sprained wrists, or minor injuries. Nothing that could be used as an excuse to not work."

"Didn't the lessons prevent you from working?"

"They slowed me down, but Uncle Vernon never punished two days in a row. He usually left a couple days in between. At night, or when they left, I would sneak into the kitchen and grab the bandages kept in the back of the medicine cabinet. I think that Aunt Petunia knew that I used them and left them there for me."

"What did your aunt do?"

"Nothing much. She mostly yelled at me. Called me freak, waste of space, abomination and that sort of stuff. She left most of the physical stuff to Uncle Vernon. The most that she ever did was aim a frying pan at my head."

Severus was speechless. This was worse than what he had thought when he first met Ari in that house, and he didn't even know everything yet. What he did learn though was horrific enough. He couldn't believe the level of animosity that a family would show their niece. He looked over at Ari and noticed that she had finally begun to cry. He knew that it would take a while for her to heal from what her relatives had done to her, but it was a start.

There wasn't a sound made in the Council hall as the Olympians began to try and make sense of what the child had been through. None could blame the child for crying. Most likely, she had never been allowed to cry for fear of being punished.

Severus called for a house elf while Ari cried. It was almost lunch time, and he didn't envision her making it down to the Great Hall. He told the elf to bring them some sandwiches and pumpkin juice. Ari had finally managed to calm down a little by the time that the elf returned with the food.

"Professor, I told Serra that I would tell her at lunch whether or not she needed to find a new seeker."

Severus sighed. Of course the child would think about Quidditch.

"I don't see a reason why you cannot continue to chase after a small gold ball while trying not to crash into other players or the ground. However, we need to get back on topic that was from last night. Write a quick note, I will sign it, and then the house elf can deliver it to Miss Stone."

Within five minutes, the note was written and sent.

On Olympus, Hecate was trying to explain Quidditch to the council. She kept it very basic. Poseidon and Athena both paled when they learned that it was played at more than 100 feet in the air. Everybody turned towards Zeus.

"You will not harm my daughter while she is on a broom."

"Indeed, you gave permission to Hecate's people, and since she is among them, she has permission too."

Zeus held up his hand for silence.

"I have no intention of knocking the girl out of the sky while she is playing her game. By the sounds of it, she is talented, and I am fine with it."

Hades began to chuckle gaining everybody's attention.

"That and you don't want to have to deal with a pissed off Athena and Poseidon coming after you."

This caused everyone except Zeus to start laughing as well. Athena or Poseidon by themselves made a formidable opponent. However, when those two teamed up, and it wasn't often, they were next to unbeatable. By now, they had noticed that Ari was finished eating and resumed watching the child pick through her life. They needed to know what her final decision was.

"Now, Miss Potter, we need to talk about last night."

"I don't really know what to say about it. I mean as I explained earlier, I was shocked and then upset. However, now, I am just confused."

"Confused about what?"

"What do I do? I mean I am obviously their daughter and since both of my parents are gods doesn't that make me one?"

"Yes, technically it does. Tell me Miss Potter, what color blood do you have?"

"Red. Why?"

"Immortals do not have red blood. They bleed ichor; golden blood."

"So, I have been turned mortal?"

"Precisely."

"So, I am basically a demigod."

"I do not know. I have never known the gods to turn their immortal children mortal for an extended period like they have done to you. There have of course been instances of temporary mortality as punishment but nothing like you. I recommend that you ask your parents. Or, if you can't wait that long, talk to your owl. You said that she worked for you mom."

"Hedwig! Yeah, she said that mom sent her to look after me. I guess this explains the formality doesn't it?"

"Ari, I need you to be honest. How exactly are you feeling towards the gods?"

This was what the gods had been waiting for. Would the child accept them?

The room was silent as Ari tried to get her thoughts and feelings straight in regards to her parents. However, every time she thought about it, a memory of one of her uncle's 'lessons' would come forward. Eventually, Ari was trapped in a non-ending loop of these' lessons.'

Severus was about to ask Ari a different question when Ari's eyes flashed in an emotion that he was only just able to identify as anger before it happened. The next thing that any of them realized, a wind picked up in the room. Ari was losing control of her magic.

"THEY ABANDONED ME! I MEAN, HOW HARD IS IT TO ACCEPT YOUR CHILD?!"

Severus knew better than to try and reason with her. The wind died down after a few minutes, but Ari did not.

"THEY DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO CHECK UP ON ME! IF THEY HAD CARED ABOUT ME, THEY WOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT I WAS BEING TAKEN CARE OF!"

"Ari, they made a mistake, try and calm down."

He heard rumbling coming from both the bathroom and the kitchen. If Ari didn't regain control soon, his quarters were going to be flooded by the plumbing.

The gods were watching this reaction in utter shock. One by one, they turned towards Athena and Poseidon. It was finally Artemis that spoke what they were all thinking.

"You two need to fix this. Now!"

The rest of the immortals nodded.

"It is you that she is angry at, therefore, it must be you two who tries to make amends," Hestia added.

At that moment, there was an explosion in the image. All turned back just in time to see the room that Ari and Severus were in flood with water. Around Ari, the wind from before was whipping up again, and this time, it was mixing with the water.

Severus Snape was having difficulty trying not to drown while also trying to calm down the irate goddess.

"Ari! Calm down! Just because they didn't help you directly, does not mean that they don't care. Look at the facts, Athena sent a personally picked owl to look after you."

The wind and the water continued to fly around the room. Many of the books on the bookshelf were damaged. Professor Snape was putting sticking charms on the items that had yet to be reached by the elemental magic. Ari by now, was beyond comprehension. She was too far lost into the memories of her childhood. The abandonment, abuse, neglect, loneliness and pain. All of it was now at the forefront of her mind, and her magic was reacting accordingly.

"Dad I recommend you go, _NOW_!" Triton yelled eyes widening in shock at the powering he was witnessing.

They were all surprised by the amount of power that the child was showing. She was untrained, and her powers were supposed to be blocked until she was 18. However, apparently, her magic was mixing with the water powers from her father. And, this was the end result.

Professor Snape was just about ready to summon the Headmaster and Madame Pomfrey to work on knocking the child out when there was a blinding light near the edge of the storm. Severus turned to see who had entered his rooms to find that it was the child's parents.

"Leave the room, Severus," Athena ordered as Poseidon made his way towards the middle of the mini storm.

Severus nodded and left the room. Poseidon worked his way through the storm. Upon reaching the middle, he grabbed hold of the child in a giant hug. He began to talk in a soft, soothing voice.

"It's okay to be angry, child. But, you need to calm down so that we can talk. Your mother and I are so sorry that all of this happened to you. We honestly believed that you were being taken care of and loved."

Athena managed to pick her way through the storm, having more difficulty than Poseidon had had. The good news though was that the storm had begun to calm down. Poseidon lowered Ari into sitting on his lap. Athena managed to work her way into sitting in front of Ari and Poseidon. She grabbed a hold of Ari's hands. Ari raised her head to look at her mother.

"Honestly, child, we were guaranteed that you were going to a loving family. If we had known, you never would have left Olympus. We have tried to keep an eye on you as you grew up. However, there were unforeseen circumstances that prevented us from being able to do so. We were blocked from you, unable to even watch you learn to walk." Tears glistened in the goddess' grey eyes but weren't permitted to fall. "Eventually, I got tired of not knowing, and I sent your owl, Hedwig, to you. She is your direct link to me."

With these words, the wind and water finally settled down.

"I was raised to believe that I was an unwanted waste of space. That my parents had got themselves killed driving drunk. That I was unloved, and my only use was to do household chores," Ari said in a whisper, but her parents caught every word.

"None of that was true," Poseidon tried to reassure his daughter.

There was then another flash of light. Ari quickly covered her eyes while Athena and Poseidon turned towards the new arrival. It was Hecate.

"Child, if the blame is to lie with anyone, it is to lie with me. I am the one that prevented your parents from checking on you. And I am the one that should have at least checked that you were being well looked after. I am no longer going to stop your parents from checking up on you. We have all made mistakes; however, it shouldn't be taken out on all of the gods."

Ari sat still for a few minutes before nodding. She saw the sense in these words. Most of the gods had not even known that she had existed, so why should she be mad at them for how she was neglected?

"Alright."

The gods all let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you going to be okay?" Hecate asked.

"Eventually, but right now, I think I need to apologize to Professor Snape for destroying his chambers."

The three immortals chuckled, gave Ari one last hug and then flashed out. After they were gone, Ari walked into Professor Snape's office.

"I am sorry for destroying your chambers, sir. I didn't mean to lose control of my anger."

Severus nodded. He was glad that the gods had managed to calm the child down.

"Miss Potter, there is a camp in America that trains the children of the gods. It helps teach them to control their abilities even when extremely emotional."

Ari's eyes widened.

"Didn't... ummm... Lord Hades mention that last night? Something about you making sure that I arrived at camp this summer?"

Severus nodded, "Yes, the council wants you trained to protect yourself against the creatures of Greek mythology. When you go, you will meet some of your other half siblings."

Ari smiled. She had forgotten that she probably had half siblings if the gods were still acting as they did back in Ancient Greece. And, everything pointed to the fact that their behavior was the same.

"However," Professor Snape continued drawing Ari out of her thoughts. "We will begin your training here. Now that you know what you are, the monsters will be able to scent you out easier."

The gods sighed. They were now back in a comfortable topic; hero training. As a mortal goddess, her scent would be stronger than that of an ordinary hero. And, since she was a child of one of the big three, it would be even stronger.

Professor Snape led Ari over to a trunk that was locked. He hadn't opened it in years. Ari looked over his shoulder to see what was inside and was surprised. It was full of armor, swords, daggers, and many other weapons.

"We will need to get you some armor _before_ we start working with weapons. However, I see no harm in teaching you how to clean and handle them."

After saying this, he pulled out a small weapon. It was the smallest in the trunk. The sheath that he pulled out was leather in the middle and plated gold on the top and bottom. He handed the weapon to Ari. Ari noticed that the sheath had a design of snakes on it. It also had a face on it that almost looked like Medusa.

"That, Miss Potter, is a dagger. _Carefully_ pull it out of the sheath."

Ari did as she was told. The dagger was sharp and well maintained. As Ari looked at it closely, the gods nodded in approval. It would work until the child obtained a sword. They all knew that she would need a sword because that is what children of Poseidon specialized in, mostly. They would wait on the bow and arrow until they knew if she had inherited her father's or mother's skill towards _that_ particular weapon.

"Now, we will begin training in weapons after Christmas break. You are to keep this dagger on you at all times. The sheath should clip to the back of your waistline under your school cloak. Therefore, nobody will see it."

Ari nodded.

"Starting this week, you will meet with me on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays (minus Quidditch) to train. I know for a fact that you have Quidditch practices Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Now, I believe that we have covered enough for today. Meet me here on Monday at seven, and we shall get started. Lessons will of course cause you to be up past curfew, but I will clear it with the Headmaster."

Ari smiled as she left. She might not have all of her answers, but she had received some. When she stepped outside the office, however, she ran into a bunch of Slytherins who were looking wide eyed at her.

"Is everything ok, Potter?" a sixth year asked.

"It is now. Umm... Professor Snape is busy cleaning up, so I don't know if he wants to be bothered right now."

With that said, she walked away. The Slytherins entered the office to find a drenched Professor Snape. They immediately began to try and find out what had happened.

After Ari was dismissed, Poseidon turned off the image. The council began talking all at once.

"She can't return there!"

"She never should have been there to begin with!"

"If Poseidon and Athena had just told us to begin with what had happened, she never _would_ have been there!"

"She shouldn't have even been born!"

"Hecate promised us that she was safe!"

"She was safe with the family that I had originally placed her with."

"Well, she obviously isn't now!"

"How was I supposed to know that they were going to be murdered!?"

"ENOUGH!"

Everybody turned to look at, surprisingly, Triton. Apollo and Hermes began to snicker as everybody else looked at the younger god in surprise.

"Son?" Poseidon questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Fighting isn't going to solve this. If the look on that teacher's face is anything to go by, Ari won't be returning anyway. All we need to do is let him convince whoever he needs to that Ari can't return there and help him if need be."

The council nodded at this. Zeus turned to Dionysus.

"You will need to make a trip to the school and inform whoever you need to that Ari is to attend camp. Make it sound like her parents signed her up; whatever you need to do, short of killing, do it."

Dionysus nodded, "I can go after the holiday break."

Hecate looked as though she was going to argue so Zeus snapped at her.

"Yes, Hecate I am giving permission to interact minimally with your people. You did not fulfill your end of the deal in Ari being raised by a caring family. Yes, I understand that it was not your fault that they were murdered. However, you should have made sure that she was placed with caring people, and the second that she wasn't, you should have moved her."

The entire council nodded. None of them were happy with how Hecate had handled Ari's placement. While the original family might have been suitable, the second family most definitely was not. Hecate should have at least checked up on her or not prevented Athena and Poseidon from checking.

"Hades, bring up an image of your descendant. If his reactions were anything to go off of, he should be acting soon."

Hades nodded, for once not arguing about being told what to do. He too wanted to help his brother's daughter. Sure enough when the image was brought up, Severus was pushing his way through the corridors and came to a stop in front of a gargoyle.

"Nerds."

"Hey, Athena, why is he talking about your kids?"

"Shut up!"

"It is obviously a password. Look, the gargoyle moved."

Severus climbed to the top of the stairs and knocked purposefully on the door. He had spent the past half hour calming down a group of his Slytherins that had heard Ari's storm. He had finally convinced them that all was fine and to go back to what they were doing. After a few seconds, he heard the command to enter, and he did. The gods were surprised to see an old man sitting behind the desk. They turned towards Hecate for the explanation.

"His name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He is the headmaster of the school."

The immortals nodded in understanding.

"Severus, my boy, are you ok? What can I do for you today?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eyes that was mixed with a bit of concern at the appearance of the teacher.

"I have come to update you on Miss Potter."

"Oh, yes. I heard from Minerva that she took quite the hit last night. I am to assume that our Miss Potter is doing well."

"About as well as can be. After fighting a troll, discovering who her birth parents are, and talking about some of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her 'relatives' Albus," he spat the word relatives like it was something nasty on the tip of his tongue.

"Abuse? Parents? Severus, what are you talking about?"

"I believe it will be easier to explain if I just show you."

Dumbledore nodded and moved to bring out his pensieve. Hecate quickly explained what the stone basin was used for and what Severus was likely going to show Dumbledore.

"He's going to reveal us?!" Hera shouted.

"No, Dumbledore already knows that we exist. I have walked among my people many times and like the mortals, some of them are clear sighted. Albus is one such person."

The others sighed in relief. That would be acceptable.

Severus placed the memory into the pensieve, and he and the Headmaster entered. It took a few hours for them to view the memories from last night and today, but when they came out, the Headmaster was noticeably pale, and the twinkle was gone from his eyes.

"She will not be returning," he stated simply. "I honestly never expected Petunia to treat Ari like that. I knew that she wouldn't be the most loved child, but I at least expected Petunia to accept her."

"Not everyone shares the same ideals as you, Albus," Severus answered simply.

"We will need to locate somebody to take her in. Preferably somebody that can maintain the wards."

"If you are looking for family, that shouldn't be too difficult. Many people are related to the gods without even knowing it."

The twinkle returned to the Headmaster's eyes so suddenly that Severus took a step back. He quickly reflected on what he had just said and groaned. He had just given him an idea.

"That is a wonderful idea, Severus. They would only have to take her in the week before, of and after her birthday."

"Yes, but Lady Magic has forbidden the gods from hooking up with her people," Severus felt he needed to point out, "You won't find a close relative. And, as I stated, most don't know that they are related."

"True, my boy, very true. But, we already know of somebody that is related to the gods and is in fact Ari's distant cousin."

Severus then realized exactly what he had got himself into. The memory had revealed the part that he was related to Hades and therefore related to Ari. He mentally groaned. He truly didn't want to have to care for the child, but if it was between that and sending her back to that hell hole, he would take in the child if only for three weeks.

"Alright, I will take her in, but only through the week after her birthday. And only until a better option is found. I am still being watched by the former Death Eaters."

"I know that. I trust that you can be the one to tell her?"

Severus sighed, "Yes." He then got a smirk on his face, "However, I want in on reporting those beasts that live at number 4 Privet Drive."

He knew that the gods were listening in. They had probably been listening in this morning if Ari looking around was any indication.

"Of course. We will plan to go to Surrey at the beginning of break."

Severus nodded. He knew that the Dursleys would be long gone by then. With that said, he left the Headmaster. It was time for dinner, and he didn't plan to miss it.

As soon as Hades' descendant left the office, the image was cancelled, and the gods began to plan. The Dursleys would pay.

 **oOo**

The next morning, while Ari was working on school work and Quidditch practice, five pissed immortals were making their way down Privet Drive. Their goal? Number 4, home of the Dursleys and soon-to-be the previous home of Ari Potter.

Poseidon knocked swiftly on the door. They could hear heavy footsteps from inside along with bellowing.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!"

Vernon Dursley was not a morning person, especially on the weekends when he was supposed to be able to sleep in. So, hearing somebody banging on the front door at eight in the morning did not put him into the best of moods. In fact, it put him into the worst of moods. He was going to tell off whoever it was that dared to disturb his Sunday morning. Even the freak knew to remain quiet until called to make breakfast.

He made his way down the stairs, yelling as he went. He hoped that whoever was banging would hear the anger in his voice and run away before he got to the door. He opened the door though and found three men, a woman and a teenage boy standing on his front stoop.

"What do you want?! Get out of here! Don't you know that it is rude to arrive unannounced this early in the morning?!"

The people in front of him looked less than impressed. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he would say that they looked livid.

The man in the front of the group was wearing leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a shirt with coconuts and parrots on it.

"Is this the Dursley residence?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"We need to speak to yourself and your wife about the child that you have been caring for."

"What do you want to talk about Dudley for? He hasn't done anything!"

Poseidon shook his head, "You misunderstand me. We are here to talk about the _other_ child that resides in this house."

Quicker than any of them thought possible for a mortal, Vernon's face turned pale, green, red and then a vivid shade of purple. The Iris children would have been impressed with the array of colors.

"There is no other child in this house! Leave my family alone! We don't want any _freaks_ here!"

Zeus and Hades subtly stepped forward alongside their brother.

"Mr. Dursley, do you really want to have this conversation out here where _anybody_ can see and hear us," Zeus questioned while Hades tried to prevent Poseidon from killing the man before them.

"Alright, get in," Vernon snapped as he began to make his way to the sitting room, "Petunia get down here!"

The five immortals followed the man. Upon realizing that there were not enough seats, they each conjured up their own. They noticed that Vernon flinched at their display of what he presumed to be magic.

Petunia Dursley entered the room followed by her son Dudley Dursley who was busy trying to walk while stuffing his face full of waffles. Dudley was only home because he was suspended from school for fighting. Athena was openly looking at the three mortals in pure disgust. Triton was wondering how his sister had learned any form of the manners that they had seen growing up with three animals as family. He shuddered. She was going to be traumatized for years to come.

Petunia took a look around and then looked at her husband.

"What is going on here?"

"They came asking questions about the freak," Vernon accused while pointing at the gods.

Petunia paled.

"Well, they can just leave can't they. The child is at the freak school, so there is no reason for them to be here."

By now, Zeus had joined Hades in trying to hold onto Poseidon. After a few minutes of struggling, Triton decided that they needed to continue with what they came here to do.

"We are here, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, to talk about the way that you have treated my sister growing up. So please sit down, shut up, and listen!"

This gained everybody's attention, and Poseidon stopped trying to kill off the Dursleys, at least, for now.

Athena decided that it was her turn to talk.

"Yes, we have heard from reliable sources that you were given our daughter to take care of and treat as your own. However, it seems as though you have failed to do that."

"Now just wait a moment!" Petunia shouted. "The girl is an orphan. Her parents gave her up for adoption, and then, my good for nothing sister and her lazy husband went and got themselves killed. She has no parents!"

"Yes, she was put up for adoption; however, it was not because her parents were dead. At the time, they could not take care of her," Hades explained.

"Now, they have come looking for their daughter only to find that she is beaten, starved, and neglected," Zeus added.

The Dursleys paled. If this was the girl's birth family, then they were in major trouble.

"Well then, if you want the child, take her! You can pick her up at the train station on June 1st."

"We were already planning on taking custody of her. However, that does not erase the fact that you saw fit to abuse a child!" Athena snapped.

Poseidon decided to get this finished.

"I am Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, Second son of Titan King Kronos and father of Ari. And you..." he gave a bitter laugh, smiling wickedly, "have made a grave error."

The gods realized that it was time to finish this. Athena stood up next. Only she and Poseidon were going to introduce themselves.

"I am Athena, Goddess of wisdom, handicrafts, useful arts, and battle strategy, Daughter of Zeus and mother of Ari. And might I say that I have never met anyone possessing as little intellect as you do," Her stormy grey eyes flashed with a terrifying victory.

Petunia Dursley looked as though she was about to be sick. Vernon Dursley began to yell profanities at the immortals, and Dudley continued to stuff his face. He never even realized that he would soon never be seen again on Privet Drive. Nobody on the street seemed to notice the abnormal amount of birds flying around the neighborhood. The weatherman received many phone calls about not being able to predict the weather properly. However, other than that, there were no signs of the gods' irritation.

A few hours later, all was silent. Hermes called the local realtor to inform them that a house on Privet Drive was abandoned and to please sell it. The realtor was ecstatic. Homes in that neighborhood were well sought after. With all of this done, the Olympians returned to their homes and jobs in time for a late lunch.

 **oOo**

Ari Potter didn't realize what her new found family had done for her. She would remain oblivious until the beginning of winter holidays. The month of November continued, and Ari was busier than she had ever thought possible. A week after that morning meeting with Professor Snape, the first Quidditch game of the year was played; Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. All the game managed to do was make Ari even more nervous. She seriously hoped that her games were not _that_ violent.

Serra continued commenting throughout the whole game to point out the weaknesses and strengths of the other teams. The rest of the team helped by pointing out different maneuvers that they had either practiced or were specific to the team performing them. Ari had to admit that it was easier to see what the maneuvers were supposed to look like when she wasn't part of them. The game finally ended with Gryffindor being victorious.

As the month progressed, Ari continued to manage her homework, her extra lessons, and Quidditch. Caillen and Keina played a major hand in helping her. Caillen still looked at her essays and told her flat out when she was writing below par. Draco assisted her in potions, which was becoming a bit more difficult. Hermione was kind enough to occasionally grab books for her from the library when she didn't have time.

Overall, some of the students were starting to wonder why a first year was running around with the workload of a fifth year. When asked by Professor McGonagall if she was okay, she just smiled and stated that she was having to relearn time management. All of the teachers had, of course, been informed of her affinity for water. That was the explanation for her extra lessons.

Eventually though, November 29th arrived, and with it, Ari's first Quidditch game. Ari woke up at six and found that she couldn't fall back asleep. She decided to go up to the library in the common room and see if she could decide what to buy her friends for Christmas. Earlier in the month, she had asked Hermione for some muggle shopping catalogues. Hermione hadn't had any at the time, but yesterday, her parents had sent her some via an owl from Diagon Alley. Ari knew already what she was going to get Draco and Ron. She knew that she would get a good laugh out of it. The only issue was how to mail in her order.

She had just finished filling out the order forms when the rest of the team arrived in the common room. Serra saw Ari already dressed and walked over to her.

"How long have you been up? You do realize that you won't perform well without enough sleep. Did you have to pick today to not get a good night's sleep?! I mean, really, it is our first game of the year!"

"Good morning to you too Serra. I have only been up for about an hour. I discovered that I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to spend the time ordering Christmas gifts."

The rest of the team chuckled at this. Only Ari seemed to have the skill to calm down Serra in a few sentences. Ari quickly cleaned up her belongings placing them on a shelf on the side wall, and followed the rest of the team down to breakfast.

It wasn't long before the Hufflepuff team arrived and shortly after them, the rest of the school began to trickle in. Ari's friends, minus Neville, quickly walked over and joined her at the Ravenclaw table. They had all agreed to sit with their own houses when they played for Quidditch.

"You really need to eat something Ari," Hermione tried to pressure.

"I am not hungry, Hermione. If I eat any more than I already have, I am likely going to be sick."

A few minutes later, Serra told the team that it was time to go. Ari's friends quickly wished her luck, and she followed the others. In the changing room, after everybody was changed, Serra gave the team a pep talk involving out-thinking the opponent and not making stupid mistakes that could have been avoided by using one's brain.

While Ari was getting ready for the game, Professor Dumbledore was greeting some guests down at the main gate. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were with him.

"Where are they, Albus? We are going to be late!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

"Don't worry so, Minerva. I have informed Rolanda to hold off the start of the match until we arrive."

"Relax Minerva, they will be here soon."

As if summoned by Professor Snape's words, there was suddenly a bright light. The three professors averted their eyes. After the light died down, they turned back and there were sixteen people standing before them that had not been there before.

Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape quickly bowed their heads in respect. Professor McGonagall had no idea what was going on.

"Bow your head Minerva!" Severus hissed at his colleague. Now was not the time for idiotic Gryffindor pride.

Minerva did as urged. Suddenly, there was chuckling.

"You can rise."

The three did as beckoned and saw that for the most part the guests were smiling at them.

A woman that looked remarkably similar to Ari stepped forward.

"I believe that we have a game to go and see."

"Of course, Lady Athena," Professor Dumbledore answered and began to lead the group to the Quidditch pitch.

"Are we correctly under the impression that Ari is playing today?" the teenage boy asked.

"Yes, Lord Triton. Ari is playing as seeker for Ravenclaw today," Severus answered.

"Avoid the formalities Severus. We don't need to draw too much attention to ourselves," Hades informed his descendant.

"Of course, Great-grandfather."

Apollo and Hermes started laughing while Hades just rolled his eyes.

Professor McGonagall was shocked by the names that she was hearing. She turned a questioning look to the Headmaster, but it was caught by Athena.

"Are you confused about something?"

Professor McGonagall turned towards the lady that had questioned her.

"Yes, ma'am. I am curious as to who you are in relation to Miss Potter."

Athena smiled. This woman knew how to get straight to the point. Poseidon answered for her.

"We are Ari's parents. I am Poseidon, her father. And Athena is her mother. I am sure based on that you can guess the relations of everybody else."

Professor McGonagall was shocked. If these people were who their names suggested they were, then Miss Potter was going to be a lot stronger than they had all originally thought. This also explained Ari's additional lessons. She turned to her colleague.

"Would you care to explain your relation, Severus?" she questioned.

"I would think that it was obvious, Minerva. I have already claimed that one is my Great-grandfather. Therefore, based on who he obviously is, you should be able to make the connection that Ari and I are distant cousins."

"Severus, considering that I look to be about your age right now and not a 100+ years old man, just call me brother or something!" Hades exclaimed.

Honestly, he wasn't as picky about formalities when with family as Zeus was. Poseidon didn't seem to care at all. Respect was good, but if you're family, just the title of cousin was fine, otherwise it could become awkward if anybody else overheard.

By now, they had arrived in the stands and were taking their seats. The gods looked around and were surprised by just how many blessed ones Hecate had. And this was only one of their schools.

"You may wish to cover your ears!" Dumbledore warned while casting the Sonorus charm.

"YOU MAY BEGIN, MADAME HOOCH."

He then quickly ended the charm. That seemed to get the game started as fourteen players walked out onto the field. The immortals were able to quickly identify Ari as she was the smallest person wearing blue and on the field. Both teams gathered around Madame Hooch in the middle of the field.

"Alright, I want a nice clean game from everybody! Mount your brooms!"

Ari quickly climbed on to her broom. Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her whistle and suddenly fourteen students rose into the air as one.

"And they're finally off!" Lee Jordan, Gryffindor and best friend of Ron's twin brothers, was the announcer for the Quidditch games.

Professor McGonagall was sitting next to him to monitor him. The immortals were right behind him. Professor McGonagall just hoped that he behaved himself.

"The quaffle is snatched up immediately by Cho Chang of Ravenclaw. A wonderful chaser and very attractive too; however, boys, hands off- she is taken by Mister Diggory!"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry Professor!"

Hermes and Apollo started laughing. The other gods were also having difficulty controlling their laughter. Even Artemis was enjoying herself. Athena and Poseidon always kept one eye on Ari and the other on the game.

"Cho passes to Gwen Reed seventh year prefect. This is her final year, and it looks as though she plans on going out with a bang. She passes the quaffle back to Chang, who passes to Alex Hale and- NO! It has been intercepted."

"The Hufflepuffs are in possession and are making their way down the pitch with Malcolm Preece in possession. Preece throws and misses. A wonderful save by Ravenclaw keeper and captain, Serra Stone."

The Ravenclaws in the stands began to cheer as their keeper made the spectacular save. The immortals in the audience clapped politely. They became a bit nervous when Ari decided to do a couple loops after the save.

"Zeus-" Poseidon started.

"I already told you- I am not going to knock her out of the sky!"

"Ravenclaw takes possession of the quaffle- chaser Chang passes the quaffle to Hale- Hale does a nice job dodging Heidi Macavoy- the Ravenclaws are swiftly moving up the field. OUCH! Chang takes a bludger shot by Anthony Rickett to the stomach. The Ravenclaw beater Trenton Raines retaliates by sending the bludger right back towards Tamsin who took possession of the Quaffle after Hale's fumble."

"This game is getting quite violent," Hestia yelled over the roar of the crowd.

The other immortals nodded. They were starting to get worried about how Ari would fare. So far, she had been fine because she had been staying well above the action. The most that she had done was those couple of loops.

"Quit whining Hestia! Hecate, I love this sport!" Ares yelled.

Everybody rolled their eyes. Of course, Ares would love anything with this much violence in it.

"We are now a half hour into the game with Ravenclaw in possession! And now-wait! Is that the snitch!"

Everybody stood on their feet, including the immortals, to watch as the Hufflepuff seeker, Cedric Diggory and Ari raced after the snitch. They were weaving through the other players who seemed to have stopped mid-game to watch the chase. They watched as Ari and Cedric fell into a hair raising nose dive after the snitch. They were neck and neck, and then suddenly, Ari heard something coming towards them. She chanced a glance to the left and had just enough time to pull back as a bludger, shot by Maxine O'Flaherty, who had finally come out of her daze, just barely missed her nose. Cedric too pulled back as it then almost hit him.

Cedric and Ari looked at each other and laughed.

"They were right. You do have talent," Cedric stated as he flew off once more to look for the snitch.

"Oh my gods!" Hestia muttered as she tried to get her heart rate to slow down again.

"You can say that again," Athena responded.

Ares was still jumping up and down as a bludger was shot at the Hufflepuff chaser trying to score.

"So, after that hair raising chase that failed to produce results on both sides, both teams have deemed it worthy of their time to resume the game!"

"Got to admit, the kid has a talent for keeping the game interesting while being very bluntly honest," Apollo yelled to Hermes who nodded.

They were all enjoying the game. Zeus had kept a close eye on Ari as she had flown towards the ground. He knew that if he could help her he would. If only to keep Poseidon from going into a panic attack.

"Hale has the quaffle once more and is ducking and dodging bludgers and players. He seems very interested in finally getting Ravenclaw on the board. We are about an hour and a half into the game and there is still no score. Scratch that! Ravenclaw scores ten to nothing!"

Ari let off a couple more loops and almost got hit by a bludger.

"Focus, Ari!" Trenton yelled as he streaked past her.

He hit the bludger towards Preece who was trying to score on Serra again. Just as Trenton raced after the bludger to hit it towards another player, Ari's broom gave a frightful lurch that almost unseated her.

She gripped the broom tightly and tried to regain control; however, it continued to lurch and raise higher and higher into the air. Ari knew for a fact that this was not normal broom behavior. Something was seriously wrong. Unfortunately, her broom was rising higher and higher and very few people seemed to notice. Luckily for her, among the people that _did_ notice were the immortals and Severus Snape.

Professor Snape saw what was happening and immediately began to chant in Latin, maintaining eye contact at all times. Athena began to scan the crowd trying to find out who was aiming to harm her daughter. Zeus was trying to use the winds around Ari to keep her from rising even higher than she already had. He managed to stop her upward movement; however, whatever was trying to harm her was preventing him from lowering her back down.

Artemis and Apollo quickly alerted Professor McGonagall to the situation, and she immediately pointed it out to Lee.

"Something is going on with Ari Potter's broom!"

With that one statement, all eyes were on Ari. The teams immediately stopped playing and raced over to try and help her. Playing didn't matter right now. Ari was about 150 feet in the air and in danger of falling.

Serra flew right up to Ari who was still trying to keep a hold on her broom. It gave another lurch and rose another five feet.

"Ari! What is going on?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Alex and Cedric appeared on her left and right. The rest of the players were either circling below her or completing the circle around her to try and prevent the broom from going any further. Trenton moved forward to try and pull her onto his broom; however, all that happened was that Ari was finally unseated and hanging on to her broom with one hand.

"ARI!"

"We can't get close to her!" Gwen yelled as she tried. The broom just rose another five feet.

"Shoot! Somebody get a professor out here! This isn't time to worry about the game!" Serra instructed while keeping an eye on her first year seeker.

Alex talked to Ari trying to keep her calm while she dangled. It didn't help much, but it kept her thinking logically.

"Do you think you can swing back up?"

"Only if it stops lurching every time that I try to!"

"Can you get your other hand up?"

"Again, it tries to toss me every time I try! Can we please just get it to stop?!"

"We're working on it!"

"Cedric, Trenton move to position yourselves directly below Ari. If she falls, try and catch her!"

While the players were trying to solve this, Hermione had snatched Ron's binoculars and was scanning the crowd until her eyes landed on one person over in the teacher's box.

"Snape is jinxing the broom!" She shouted to Ron. In the pandemonium, he was the only person that heard her.

"What do we do?" Ron was in full panic mode.

Hermione drew her wand and started to head out of the stands stating, "Leave it to me," as she left.

Draco and Neville were with their houses and were not faring much better than Ron. Both were worried about their friend falling to the ground. Hermione finally made it over to the teachers' box and was working her way over to Professor Snape. On her way over, she was tripped by someone moving suddenly and fell into Professor Quirrell. She made it to Professor Snape.

"Lacarnum Inflamarae!" Hermione muttered pointing her wand at Professor Snape's robes.

The reaction was instantaneous as Hephaestus was the first person to realize that there was a fire. He looked around quickly until he saw that it was Severus on fire.

"Severus! You're on fire!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Luckily Triton and Poseidon heard the warning and put out the fire. This had the benefit of Severus not having to stop chanting, but it also completely soaked him. However, it did the trick. Right as the fire was put out, Ari was able to climb back onto her broom.

"You okay to continue Ari?" Serra questioned.

All the players were looking at her as though they were worried that she was going to collapse 175 feet in the air.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Alright then," Serra signaled to Madame Hooch that the game could continue and it did.

"So, after that thrilling mid-game action-"

"Jordan! Show some respect!" Professor McGonagall yelled while looking at the royally peeved immortals in the stands.

"I mean after that absolutely terrifying-"

"Jordan!"

"Alright, alright. The Ravenclaw seeker nearly falls to her death, which could happen to anybody, I'm sure. So anyways, the game has resumed, again, and Ravenclaw is in possession."

Ari really just wanted to end this game. She began to look harder for the snitch than she had before. She noticed though that the other players were keeping an eye on her as well as their tasks.

'Oh, great! Now, I am going to have to convince everybody that I am not too young to play!'

At that moment, movement caught Ari's eye. She looked over to her right and saw that Cedric was chasing the snitch. The bad news was that Cedric was closer. The good news was that it was heading straight for Ari!

Ari put on a burst of speed to try and close the gap. Just as Ari was about to reach it, the snitch once again began a descent towards the ground. Both seekers gave chase. As it came right up on the ground, the seekers began a game of chicken. In the end, Cedric pulled out of the dive. Ari followed the snitch as it skimmed the ground. She then began to chase it a mere foot off the ground. With a final burst of speed, Ari reached out and grabbed the snitch, thus ending her first Quidditch game.

"ARI POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! ARI POTTER RECEIVES 150 POINTS FOR CATCHING THE SNITCH AND THE GAME IS OVER!"

Ari landed and was immediately surrounded by her team. They all looked thrilled; however, there was a hint of concern in their eyes.

Serra grabbed Ari's shoulder and began to steer her out of the stadium.

"Come on Ari."

"Where are we going?"

" _You_ are getting looked at by Madame Pomfrey to make sure that you are okay," Alex responded.

Ari rolled her eyes but knew better than to argue. It would do her no good.

The team swiftly made their way into the Hospital Wing. Somehow, Madame Pomfrey already knew to expect their arrival and immediately set to looking over Ari. She ran a full diagnostic after being hinted at it by Severus. What the results found had her stunned.

"You're staying overnight, Miss Potter. And probably all day tomorrow as well."

The team was in an instant panic.

"What's wrong!?"

"She didn't fall!"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Alright, that's enough!" Madame Pomfrey finally shouted to regain order. "Miss Potter has some previous injuries that apparently never healed properly. She can either stay now and get them healed, or she can be benched until she does get them healed."

The team looked at Ari wide eyed.

"You were injured?!" Gwen yelled.

"Not that I know of," Ari responded.

Serra looked hard at Ari, "You will remain here until Madame Pomfrey clears you, Ari. If you don't, I will have no choice but to bench you. Believe me Ari, I don't want to, but I will."

Ari nodded. She didn't have much choice. She turned to look at Madame Pomfrey.

"What exactly needs to be healed?"

This question gained everybody's attention.

Madame Pomfrey sighed she really didn't like what she was about to have to say, "I need to re-break numerous bones that have healed wrong. You also seem to have some injuries on you back that are well beyond being infected," here she turned to the team. "After I release her, she needs to gain some weight; she is severely malnourished. However, I will leave that to you to get her to eat properly."

The team nodded their acceptance to the task set before them.

"I speak for the team when I say that it will be done. Since Ari sits at the other tables, I will inform the other teams to see to it as well," Serra responded.

Gwen stepped up, "I will inform the prefects along with the head boy and girl. Ari will be made to eat properly at meals."

Ari groaned, "Great! I am going to be stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey!"

About half an hour later, the heads of houses and the gods arrived and the team left. Poseidon and Athena walked up to their daughter.

"You played extremely well," Poseidon stated awkwardly.

"Yes, if you mean pulling death defying stunts every five minutes! I am pretty sure that I saw _Thanatos_ at the edge of the field at one point!" Athena yelled.

"You did," Hades confirmed.

This caused everybody to pale. Ari had been very close to death then. Ari couldn't think of anything to say. She looked towards her professors.

"Poppy, is everything alright with Miss Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"I need to heal some old injuries that didn't heal properly. As such, Miss Potter, is remaining here for the remainder of the weekend."

Madame Pomfrey handed Ari a potion.

"Down it in one. Trust me- you want to be asleep when I re-break the bones."

Ari nodded and downed the potion. The Olympians paled at the mention of breaking bones.

"Is that really necessary?" Hermes asked.

Apollo looked over at the child and flinched, "Yes, it's necessary. How she has full motion of her hands, I don't know."

Zeus turned to Dionysus who was standing in a corner, "Return to camp. The game is over, and you are still being punished."

Dionysus groaned but did as he was told. As he left, the occupants could hear phrases such as "shouldn't have been off limits" and "too harsh on such a minor offense." Ari had, in the meantime, fallen asleep.

Artemis noticed this first and smiled, "I think we had best be leaving. Ari is asleep anyway so she won't be much for conversation."

There were mutters of agreement as the immortals made their way to the exit. Hades stopped next to his 'brother.'

"Keep us informed of her progress. If anything happens let us know."

Severus nodded. He was now responsible for a mortal goddess. He wasn't foolish enough to keep anything important from the council.

"Come on Triton!" Poseidon called to his son who was still hovering around his sister.

He snapped up quickly and looked a bit guilty. The adults raised their eyebrows at him. However, upon looking closer they noticed that Triton had given Ari a necklace with a charm in the shape of a conch shell. Without further word, they left, and Madame Pomfrey began her work.

It was around dinner time when Madame Pomfrey made another discovery that both shocked and scared her. She quickly used the fire place to call the Headmaster.

"What is it Poppy? Is something wrong with Ari?"

"Yes something is wrong!" Poppy yelled out in full panic.

"What is it? What have you found?"

"Albus, this child has no magical core. By all means, Ari should not be able to perform any sort of magic!"

This was shocking but not completely unexpected for the old professor. He looked at the child that he had over the years come to see as a granddaughter.

"Is she in any danger from remaining at Hogwarts?"

"No, from what I can tell, she is _now_ in perfect health. But she should not be able to perform the magic that she has learned thus far in school. She shouldn't even be able to get a simple lumos!"

"Alright. Calm down. Keep your eye on her. Every time she comes in, run a simple and subtle test. As long as it doesn't seem to be hurting her, and she is able to perform magic, she will remain. There is no reason to remove her if it is not hurting her. We will just monitor her closely."

Madame Pomfrey nodded her understanding.

"I am going to inform the heads of houses. Miss Potter needs to return to classes on Monday. She is in your hands until then."

With that, Dumbledore left the infirmary to inform the heads of houses what was going on. To say that they were shocked would be an understatement. However, all agreed that as long as it wasn't hurting her, there was no reason to remove Ari Potter from Hogwarts.


	12. Chapter 11

**Beta'd by Lady of Something**

 **Chapter 11**

Ari woke up periodically throughout the rest of the weekend; however, it was never enough to gain full awareness. Apparently, Madame Pomfrey did not want her being able to get up and aggravate her injuries nor feel any pain. Therefore, it wasn't until Monday morning that Ari was able to finally become fully aware of her surroundings. Madame Pomfrey gave her one last look over before sending her on her way.

"There will be a potion beside your plate at both breakfast and dinner. You _will_ take them. The elves will inform me if you don't," Madame Pomfrey lectured.

"Yes, ma'am," Ari responded as she changed into her school uniform. She was pulling off the hospital gown when her hand hit against something that she was sure had not been around her neck when she went to sleep.

"Madame Pomfrey, where did this necklace come from?" Ari questioned while taking a closer look at the charm. It was in the shape of a conch shell. No, it _was_ a conch shell.

Madame Pomfrey popped her head out of her office, "Oh, one of your guests from the Quidditch game left it for you. I believe that it was a teenager."

Ari's eyes widened. One of the gods had left her a _gift_! She knew from reading the legends, that no gift came without a price. She was going to ask Professor Snape about this. She did after all have lessons with him tonight. It sounded as though the gift came from probably either Apollo, Hermes or Triton.

Her teammates had been nice enough and brought down a set of her school uniforms and her bag of books. Keina had made sure that her bag had the proper books in it before they had brought it down.

Ari made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and was immediately dragged over to the Gryffindor table by Fred and George.

"So, little Ari-"

"We hear that you-"

"Need to be watched-"

"To make sure that-"

"You eat enough."

Ari was placed between Fred and George at the table. Instantly, a potion bottle appeared beside her plate. Ari noticed as she picked it up, that half of the hall seemed to be watching her closely; including the teachers. As she drank it down, she resisted the urge to bang her head repeatedly against the table. She was never going to find peace again.

She began to place food on her plate when Fred took the plate from her.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Ari-"

"Strict orders-"

"To make sure that you eat enough," the twins finished together.

Ari looked at the plate that Fred placed in front of her and stared at it. There was no way on Earth that she was going to be able to eat all of that. The plate had no less than two pancakes, one blueberry muffin, one banana, two sausages, and three pieces of bacon.

"The only way that I will be able to eat _all_ of this, guys, is if you don't mind taking me back to Madame Pomfrey when I am done because I will be severely sick."

She turned to look around. Everybody was watching her to make sure that she ate. She looked up at the staff table and motioned over Professor Flitwick. He came along with Professors McGonagall, Snape and Sprout.

"Is something wrong, Miss Potter?" Professor Flitwick asked. Ari noticed the worried look in all of their eyes.

She took a deep breath. She was going to have to handle this with care if she was going to get them to understand, stop worrying and not stuff her up like a turkey.

"I can't eat this much. Unless everybody wishes for me to take up permanent residency with Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing. My stomach is too small. It isn't as small as it was at the beginning of the year, but it still can't handle more than half of this."

Professor Snape took a look at the plate and realized what she was talking about. He grabbed the plate off of the table and began to take some of the food off of it. In the end, she was left with one pancake, one banana, two sausages, and one piece of bacon. Ari looked at the professor when he placed the plate back in front of her.

"Thank you."

Professor Snape nodded before motioning for the other teachers to follow him. At the staff table, there was a very quick discussion before the Headmaster stood up. Instantly, everybody fell silent.

"Good morning students. Now, I know that all of you have in one way or another been made aware of Miss Potter's condition. Thus is the wonder of school gossip. However, I ask that the task of helping her please be restricted to the teachers, prefects and anybody else that Madame Pomfrey assigned the task to," Here he gave a meaningful look over to the Ravenclaw Quidditch team that looked about ready to revolt.

"Nobody is to question Miss Potter as to what caused the condition, and nobody is to make it more difficult for her than it already is. It will be considered a form of severe bullying. Now, off to classes."

As the students began to file out of the Great Hall, the Quidditch captains made their way over to Ari.

"Ari, a word please," Serra called to her seeker.

Ari nodded and made her way over. She quickly noticed that it wasn't just Serra, but also, Oliver Wood, Anthony Rickett, and Marcus Flint.

"Ummm….do you need something?" Ari asked hesitantly. She really didn't want to get into any fights this early in the morning.

"We want to make sure that you are feeling ok," Oliver stated when it seemed like nobody else was going to.

"Yeah, I feel fine. Madame Pomfrey kept me knocked out all weekend. Unfortunately, that means that I missed a weekend of homework."

Serra nodded understandingly while the others just rolled their eyes. Leave it to a Ravenclaw to be worried about _homework_.

"Potter, homework is not the issue right now," Marcus commented dryly. "We are asking about your health. You do realize that Madame Pomfrey had to re-break nearly half the bones in your body. That's not including the infection that was in your back. How you were able to walk, let alone fly is beyond me."

"Oh," was all that Ari could say.

Serra felt some sympathy for her seeker. "Ari you don't have to tell us, but if you want to talk about what happened, any of us are willing to talk. As you have noticed, the other teams have been informed and will help keep an eye out for bullying."

Ari realized that all of them, or at least the students, thought that she was being bullied and the teachers were leaving it at that. As far as Ari knew, only Professor Snape knew about what went on at the Dursleys.

"Thank you."

The others smiled at the young seeker. None of them wanted to see her hurt. Anthony quickly wrote a note for Ari - he was a prefect - and they all departed for their classes. Ari ran down to the dungeons; however, she was still about ten minutes late for Potions. Professor Snape was not happy.

"So wonderful of you to join us, Miss Potter. Perhaps instead of lessons tonight, I should assign a detention instead."

Ari walked to the front of the class where he was standing and silently handed him the note. After reading it, he motioned for her to join Keina at their table. The rest of the class went relatively smoothly until Seamus somehow managed to explode his and Stephen's potion.

"You idiot!" Professor Snape yelled, "Do you know how to read the directions or does nothing penetrate that empty head of yours."

Ari winced at the reprimand. It didn't matter that it wasn't aimed at her, it still brought up way too many memories. Professor Snape was not completely oblivious to her reaction and reminded himself to talk with her some more during their lessons.

"Clean up and throw out your potions. Thanks to Mr. Finnegan and Mr. Stephen, all of your potions are now ruined. Let's see, that will be 20 points from both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Now, leave. Miss Potter remain behind."

Professor Snape waited until the rest of the class before beginning.

"Lessons will be at the same time as normal tonight. We will continue working on control. Hopefully, we will be able to start weapons in the new year."

"Sir, if I wanted to mail order something from a muggle store, how would I go about doing that?"

"Bring the order tonight, and we will take care of it."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, off to class."

Ari managed to take notes for about half of history, before falling asleep. Honestly, she was going to have to ask Helena, the Ravenclaw ghost, advice on how to stay awake in Binn's class. Transfiguration was not much better as, by then, Ari's hands were starting to feel a little bit stiff. At dinner, there were two potions for her to take and a note appeared on her plate.

 **Miss Potter,**

 **Professor McGonagall informed me that your hands were starting to bother you. The second potion should take care of that. Next time, just come to me and don't wait.**

 **Madame Pomfrey**

Hermione saw the note and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly, Ari. You need to start taking better care of yourself. It is no wonder that half the school is now watching for you to so much as get a paper cut. If you were to actually get help when you need it, they might back off."

Ari just nodded. There was no point in telling them what had caused the injuries. The entire group decided to use a spare classroom to study in. They weren't supposed to be in each other's dorms, and they couldn't talk in the library. However, the spare classrooms were open for use as long as they were not locked.

"Ok, Ari, what time are your lessons at?" Hermione asked once they had got settled.

"Same time as normal Hermione."

"Then we only have an hour."

They got to work on their transfigurations essays and herbology sketches of Devil's Snare. They were about a half hour into when Ari finally got tired of the looks being exchanged between Hermione and Ron and the glares that Draco was sending both of them.

"Alright, will somebody tell me what is going on?"

Neville decided to be the one talk because the others were still too busy glaring at each other.

"Ron and Hermione believe that Professor Snape tried to kill you at the Quidditch game. Draco believes that they don't know what they are talking about and shouldn't make assumptions without facts."

Ari looked at her friends in complete surprise. Professor Snape had been trying to save her, not kill her. Even if he had wanted to kill her, he wouldn't have tried anything with the entire Olympian council there.

"You are both nuts! If Professor Snape had wanted to kill me, he could have done it weeks before the game without having to try that hard. He very easily could have made it look like an accident."

"Exactly, that's why you shouldn't go to these lessons, Ari. At least not until we know why he was trying to kill you," Hermione declared with Ron nodding in the background.

"You are both being idiots. Professor Snape is not trying to kill Ari!" Draco yelled.

"Prove it!" Ron bellowed.

"Why don't you?!"

"He was muttering and maintaining eye contact. Those are the characteristics of a curse," Hermione stated.

"Those are also the characteristics of counter-curses, Hermione," Ari retorted, "Now, I am leaving before I am late, again."

With that, Ari gathered up her belongings and headed towards the dungeons. She had a feeling that the study group wasn't going to last much longer tonight. She arrived at two to seven and knocked.

"Enter."

"Good evening, Professor,"

"Good evening, Ari. I have told you before, when you are here for these lessons, you are here as my cousin, not my student."

"Sorry, Severus."

Severus nodded, "Good, now let's begin from where we left off last Friday, before your incident."

With that stated, Ari and Severus began to practice the lessons on control. About half an hour into the lessons, Severus called a break. It wouldn't do for Ari to wear herself out. Her control was getting better though.

"Professor, do we yet know who was trying to curse my broom on Saturday?"

Severus sighed, he had wondered when this question was going to come up, "No, we are still looking into it."

"Ron and Hermione somehow saw you muttering in the stands, they think that you were the one to curse my broom."

"Then, am I to assume that Miss Granger was the one to set my robes on fire?"

"I don't know."

"Now, before we continue, you said that you wished to mail something?"

"Yeah, I wanted to order something for Ron and Draco for Christmas."

Severus eyebrows raised above his hairline as the meaning of her words caught up to him.

"You are getting them _muggle_ items?"

"Yep," Ari answered with a devious smirk that Severus thought Slytherin worthy.

"Do I want to know?"

"Nope."

"Alright. Well, we can send it by Hermes Express. He will send through your order and then mail it to you. This way you don't have to deal with trying to manage muggle shopping in the magical world."

He handed Ari an envelope and instructed her in how to put her order forms into the envelope. She was about to put the money into the envelope but Severus stopped her.

"You need to use either muggle currency or Ancient currency. I can give you the ancient currency in the exchange for your magical currency."

Ari handed him the magical currency, and he dropped in the amount that was needed to pay for the mail order. As soon as the envelope was sealed, it vanished with a pop.

"Alright, is there anything else that you wished to do before we continue lessons?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about this," Ari stated as she pulled out the conch shell necklace.

Severus' eyes widened. That couldn't be what he thought it was.

"Where did you get that?"

"It was around my neck when I woke up. Madame Pomfrey told me that one of the visiting teens put it around my neck. I was guessing either Apollo, Hermes, or Triton."

"You are correct in your rationalizing. It is the symbol of your brother. It is stated in the legends, our history, that he gave a conch to those that he promised to protect. It was a method for them to contact him and for him to watch over them. I am not sure how it works exactly."

"There is a price with it though, isn't there?" Ari asked hesitantly. She really wanted to accept the gift from her brother but wanted to know what the cost was.

"In most cases, yes there is normally a price with gifts. However, I have heard of gods giving gifts to those that they favored. If I remember correctly, your father loved to give the gift of swords to his favored children."

"So, it is safe, then?"

Severus looked right at Ari, "Yes, child, it is safe. I believe that your brother wanted to be able to keep an eye on you. Especially after hearing what your childhood was like. I can almost guarantee you that if he can prevent harm from coming to you, he will."

Ari groaned, she knew what that meant. "Basically, what you are saying is that I have just gained an overprotective older brother."

Severus smirked, "And mother, father, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Pretty much everybody; though they may not always act like it. Now, let's continue the lesson."

Their lesson continued on until it was ten minutes to curfew and then Professor Snape dismissed Ari. Near the end of the week, Professor Flitwick came around with a list for the students who were going to remain over winter break to sign. Both Ari and Ron were staying. However, the rest of their group was to go home. Draco didn't look too pleased at the idea.

"Apparently, my father has been receiving news about me since the beginning of the school year."

The rest of the group seemed nervous about this revelation.

"You know that if something happens, you can return to Hogwarts, right?" Caillen questioned.

"Yeah, I have it set up with Professor Snape. He will give an emergency portkey, just in case. Hopefully, it is just a precaution."

The rest of the group agreed, and they continued on eating their lunch. December continued to progress, and Ari, along with the other students that could not go to Hogsmeade, mail ordered Christmas gifts for her friends. The week after she sent off the mail order with Hermes Express, the package arrived. Professor Snape had had a great laugh after Ari had explained the meaning behind the gifts.

Finally, the last week of classes arrived, and all the teachers except for Professors Snape, Quirrell and Binns gave up teaching. Professor McGonagall had the students transfiguring toothpicks into Christmas decorations and gifts. Professor Flitwick had them taking those decorations and charming them to sing, change colors, or glow. Professor Sprout had them growing the magical version of mistletoe. All in all, it was a very festive atmosphere that surrounded Hogwarts.

The last evening before the students left, was filled with the exchanging of gifts. They all warned each other not to open them before Christmas. Ron and Ari showed the others off before heading up to Ravenclaw Tower. The students had been informed that over break, if the other occupants didn't mind, they were allowed inside of the other common rooms.

Ari knocked on the door and awaited the riddle.

 _I can be quick and then I'm deadly,_

 _I am a rock, shell and bone medley._

 _If I was made into a man, I'd make people dream,_

 _I gather in my millions by ocean, sea and stream._

 _What am I?_

Ari looked at Ron to see if he wanted to try and answer. However, he was just staring at the door as if it was insane. Ari laughed and answered the riddle. She continued to chuckle as they entered and took the seats nearest the fire. Not many students had decided to stay this winter. The Weasleys were the only Gryffindors, Ari was the only Ravenclaw and then there were a few Hufflepuffs and Slytherins. Overall, there were maybe ten students here.

"What the bloody hell was wrong with that door?" Ron finally snapped.

"Nothing, that is how one gets into Ravenclaw Tower. Rowena Ravenclaw wanted her students to seek knowledge for knowledge's sake and to always be learning. So, instead of just memorizing a password, we have to answer a riddle. Since I am here alone though, I better hope that I am able to answer them. Because otherwise, I will not be getting back into the tower until the others come back."

Ron took out his chess board and began to teach Ari the finer points of Wizard's chess. Ari caught on rather quickly since it was pretty much the exact same as regular chess only the pieces moved by themselves. However, she held no hope of beating Ron. After dinner, Ron went up to Gryffindor Tower and Ari returned to Ravenclaw Tower. Ari decided to get a head start on her homework. She actually finished it that night. She knew that the same would not be able to be said for Ron.

The next morning, Ari woke up to a pop behind her from near her bedroom door. She looked around to see an elfin creature standing in her doorway. The creature was wearing a uniform with a family symbol on it.

"Can I help you?" Ari questioned.

The creature refused to look directly at Ari and looked extremely nervous.

"Rigby is here to inform Miss Potter that she is needed in the Hospital Wing by Master Snape."

"You are Professor Snape's house elf," Ari stated in realization.

At this comment, Rigby stood straighter and looked right at Ari.

"I am the house elf responsible for looking after the Master while he is at school."

"Why does he need me?" Ari questioned while starting to get dressed

"Master does not bes telling, Rigby. Rigby is just doing as Rigby is ordered."

"Then let's go."

Ari quickly grabbed her cloak and followed the house elf.

Rigby led Ari down to the Hospital Wing. Upon arrival, she was greeted by not only Professor Snape, but also Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout, the Headmaster, and Madame Pomfrey.

Rigby walked up to Professor Snape and bowed.

"Rigby is bringing Miss Potter to Master."

"You have done well," Professor Snape responded but still kept his attention on the bed in front of him.

"Come here, Miss Potter. Perhaps you can answer a few questions for us," Madame Pomfrey instructed.

Ari walked forward. Once she was standing beside her Professors, she got a better look at the bed and almost screamed. There on the bed laying extremely pale and still, was Draco Malfoy. He looked like one enormous bruise. His face was swollen, and Ari could see the bulk of the bandages he had on under the hospital gown.

"What happened to him?!" Ari shouted looking at her teachers.

Professor Sprout placed a hand on Ari's shoulder causing Ari to flinch. However, Professor Sprout didn't remove her hand.

"Calm down, Miss Potter," Professor McGonagall instructed.

"Draco activated his emergency portkey last night and was transported to my quarters. I then quickly brought him down here," Professor Snape informed his student.

Ari paled. She had tried to get Draco to stay behind. She didn't realize that she had said that last part out loud.

"You knew that something like this might happen?" Professor Flitwick questioned his raven.

Ari shook her head, "All we knew was that Lord Malfoy had somehow been receiving reports on Draco and was not happy from the sounds of his recent letters. Draco brushed off our worries and told us that he already had a plan in place with Professor Snape. So, we dropped it."

Ari started crying. "We honestly thought that with the plan, he would be fine. If I had known that this was going to happen, I would have locked him in Ravenclaw Tower until after the train had left."

The teachers nodded. That seemed about right for the group.

"Is he going to be alright?" Ari asked quietly.

Here the teachers all gave a small smile.

"He should be fine within a few weeks. He will be awake by Christmas but won't be able to do much. He will be extremely exhausted," Madame Pomfrey informed the child.

"I have already had the house elves fetch his presents and school supplies from his house. They will continue to return there until young Mr. Malfoy is moved out. He won't be returning," the Headmaster added.

With all of this explained, Ari was sent off to 'enjoy' her break. She decided to go for a walk around the lake before spending the rest of the day reading some ancient myths. Despite these distractions and the joy she felt at being free, she still felt a constant worry for her friend. But most of the time, she was able to brush it off, rationalising that, if something were to happen to Draco, Severus would inform her of the blonde's health.

Christmas arrived a few days later, and Ari was once more awoken by the sound of a pop somewhere in her room. She quickly looked around and saw that once more Rigby was standing in her doorway.

"Morning, Rigby. Am I summoned again?"

The small house elf nodded. He liked the way that the young Miss treated him.

"Young Miss is asked to come to the Great Hall. All of your presents be there already."

Ari raised her eyebrow at that.

"I thought Christmas presents were opened in common rooms."

Once more the elf nodded, "Normally, yes, Miss. But, Headmaster believes it bes better to have all together in the Great Hall. Especially since some like young Miss are alone in their rooms."

Ari nodded at the logic and quickly changed. She then followed Rigby down to the Great Hall. Once there, she spotted the Weasleys, the Professors and the few other students all sitting around one table together. Amongst the occupants, was Draco.

"Happy Christmas, Ari," the twins called out

"Happy Christmas to you two, also!" Ari laughed.

"Well, come on in. The elves have set up a wonderful breakfast."

Ari walked over to the table and sat between Draco and Ron.

"Are you feeling okay, Draco?" Ari asked in concern.

Draco gave her a small smile before answering softly, "Yeah, Father just caught me off guard. I didn't expect to be ambushed as soon as I entered the door."

The breakfast was a wonderful, simple little affair. Once done eating his own food, Professor Snape realized something.

"Well, Madame Pomfrey, you should be pleased."

"Why, Severus?"

"Miss Potter just ate a full serving of food. Now, she might actually start gaining some much needed weight."

As one, everybody turned to look at Ari and, sure enough, she was grabbing a small second helping. Ari felt everybody staring at her and looked around. She noticed all of the grins on everybody's faces.

"What?"

The Headmaster seemed to snap out of it first. "Nothing my dear child, we are all just extremely happy to see that you are finally able to eat a full serving without getting sick."

Ari looked down at her plate and then realized what she had done. She broke out into a smile as well. Once everybody was done eating, the professors ushered the students over to the largest of the twelve trees. Under it, were eleven piles of presents. The other students instantly found their piles and began to open their presents.

Ari, however, turned towards Professor Snape with wide eyes. He knew why she was shocked; she actually had presents. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Our relatives have decided to indulge in spoiling their new found relation. I believe that it was only the actions of Hecate that kept them this much under control. Though, she herself has sent you a gift. I recommend you call them later to thank them."

Ari nodded and began to open the large pile of presents. She received armour (Hephaestus), a copy of _Gods, Goddesses, Kings and Heroes: A History of Those That Created, Ruled and Protected the Ancient Land, Greece_ (Hestia), a box of very fashionable clothes (Aphrodite), a dagger holder adjustable for either her calf or thigh (Ares), a cellphone that ran on magic (Hermes), a bow and arrows (Apollo and Artemis), a book on Greek magic (Hecate), a bottomless bag (Hera), a letter from the Camp Half-blood stating that they were excited for her to arrive (Chiron), a bottle of butterbeer (Dionysus), a cookbook full of healthy foods (Demeter), written permission to fly (Zeus), a book on the history of the creatures and monsters of myth and legend (Hades), a seahorse charm (Triton), a bronze bracelet shaped like the face of an owl (Athena) and, finally, a black ring with blue stones (Poseidon). These were the gifts that were just from her family.

Severus went wide eyed at some of the gifts. The students had turned to see what Ari Potter was getting and were mystified at all of the _weapons_. The professors that knew of Ari's true family's identity nodded in understanding. They had met and talked with the gods in the hospital wing after the Quidditch game.

"Who are those from, Ari?" Ron asked as he walked over wearing a maroon sweater with an R on it.

"I don't know," Ari answered. She looked to Professor Snape trying to find an explanation. Luckily, he had one.

"It is highly possible that now that you are in the magical world, Miss Potter, some of your relatives from your father's side of the family have decided to contact you."

All the students nodded. It seemed logical to them. Ari decided that she would open the letters from the gods later. She instead turned towards the gifts from her friends.

As she was about to open Hermione's gift, she heard a simultaneous yell on both sides of her. She turned to look at both Draco and Ron and saw that they had opened her gifts.

"What is _this_?!" Draco yelled waving around a copy of _Green Eggs and Ham_ by Dr. Seuss.

The muggleborns and muggle raised in the room started laughing at the title. It became even funnier when Ron started to stare in terror at his new copy of _One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish_. Ari couldn't stop herself from laughing as she stood up.

"Do you two remember the minor, insignificant comment that I made on the train?"

"No," was the simultaneous answer.

Ari nodded as though having expected that.

"Let me refresh your memory. You two were arguing and I believe it went:

 _'Well what do you think Weasel?'_

 _'It might work Ferret.'_

 _'Twit.'_

 _'Git.'_

 _'Prat.'_

 _'Brat.'_

In the end, I piped up 'alright, Dr. Seuss' and you two didn't know who I was talking about. I told you at the time that it was a muggle children's book author. Well, now you two can read something by him and consider this payback for ignoring me in favor of arguing with each other."

At the end of the explanation everybody was laughing including the teachers. Ari had pulled one over on both boys. Ari then went back to her pile of presents.

Ari nodded and began to open up the rest of her presents. She received a box of chocolate frogs (Hermione), a Ravenclaw blue Weasley sweater with a bronze A on it and a large box of homemade fudge, a box of Bertie Botts every flavor Jelly Beans (Ron), a quill kit (Keina and Caillen), a roughly cut wooden flute (Hagrid), a broom service kit (Draco), a book of fairy tales (Faye), and a photo album (Severus).

Ari turned and looked at Professor Snape for an explanation.

"I was friends with your mother when we were in school. I figured that you might appreciate knowing at least something about her. Those are some pictures that I was able to track down of her and her friends throughout Hogwarts."

Ari nodded her thanks but was unable to say anything for fear that she might start crying. James and Lily might not be her birth parents, but they had still decided to raise her as their own and she was grateful to them for that.

After everybody had finished opening up their presents, some house elves were summoned to help move all of the new gifts up to the Common rooms. Rigby had to get the help of two other elves to move all of Ari's in a timely fashion.

Ari made her way up to the common room. She decided that since she was the only person up here, she would read the letters near the fire. Apparently, the elves had anticipated this and had left the gifts from her family there as well.

The letters explained exactly what the charm, bracelet and ring were. The charm was supposed to act as a guide for Ari should she ever need help in their father's realm, the bracelet turned into a shield, the bow and arrows shrunk down to a charm like the seahorse and the ring doubled as a sword.

 _"Your robes are loose enough that you can wear your bracelet under them and you can wear your ring or your dagger. I would recommend sticking to the dagger until you know how to properly use the sword. The bow and arrows in charm form and the seahorse charm should also be added to your necklace,"_ was a bit of advice that was written in her mother's letter.

Apparently, the gods had worked together on getting her a gift each. They had then each wrote her a quick letter explaining the gift and wishing her a happy Christmas. The longest letters were those of her mother, father, and brother. Her brother had already told her to add the new charms to her necklace.

Ari put the two new charms on to her necklace and put on her bracelet and ring. This would be the easiest way to transport them. She then began to make her way down to the dungeons. Ari didn't yet have any drachmas. Ari approached the door and knocked.

"Enter."

Ari entered and Professor Snape looked up.

"Yes, Ari. Did the letters explain everything?"

Ari nodded. "Yeah."

"So what was it that the letter said about the charm from your brother?"

"It's some sort of sea guide. I don't really understand it. It just says to make sure that it is always attached to my necklace unless I need it. The bow and arrows also shrunk down to fit on my necklace."

Severus nodded that is what he had thought.

"Follow me," he stated and they made their way out of the dungeons and out to the lake.

Once there, Severus began to instruct Ari.

"Take off the charm, not the necklace, and place it in the water."

Ari looked at him like he was nuts.

"You want me to let the charm sink to the bottom of the lake."

"It won't sink. Just do it."

Ari took off the sea green charm and placed it in the water. The second the charm touched the water, it changed into a giant seahorse. Ari stared in shock at the creature before her. The seahorse was sea green with a leather harness and saddle. She slowly began to walk into the water and up to the creature.

It swam up to her and began to nuzzle her. Ari turned her attention back to Severus while continuing to pet the soft creature.

"What is it?"

"It is as the letter stated; a sea guide. It will assist you when you are in your father's realm. Such as if you don't know your way or just don't want to swim."

"How do I turn him back?"

"Stroke the jewel in the center of the head piece."

Ari did as told and indeed it did turn back into a charm. She took a closer look at the charm. She noticed now that the jewels in the charm turned into the saddle, head piece and reins when the seahorse was full sized. The saddle, head piece, and reins were silver in color to match the silver charm loop that allowed it to hook onto the necklace.

Ari stepped out of the water and took a closer look at the lake. It was angry and not somewhere that people wanted to swim right now. She took a look at the sky, it looked as though a storm was coming on.

"The weather has been bad for the past four days now. What is going on?" Ari muttered, but Severus heard her.

"Do you realize, Miss Potter, the significance of December 21st?"

Ari thought for a moment before answering, "It is the winter solstice. The day that the Olympians hold their council."

"Yes, well, on that day something was stolen."

Ari's eyes widened, "What?"

"Lord Zeus' master bolt was stolen. He, of course, blames Lord Poseidon."

"Oh, sweet Merlin! Are you kidding me? Is that the reason for the crazy weather lately? Who on this planet is stupid enough to piss off the gods, I mean besides Hecate?"

"Nobody knows. Your mother, along with Artemis, Apollo, Hermes and Ares were dispatched to try and find it; however, none have succeeded. If it is not found soon, we will find ourselves at war."

Ari nodded, "Should I hold off on saying thank you? Or will they even be in?"

"No, it is always a good idea to thank the gods for a gift."

With that stated, Severus cast a spell on the lake and created a rainbow.

"O goddess, accept our offering."

He threw the drachma into the rainbow, and it disappeared in a golden shimmer.

"Olympian Council, Mt. Olympus."

Within seconds the image changed to that of the Olympian throne room, and they were greeted with shouts of argument.

"RETURN MY BOLT!"

"I DIDN'T STEAL YOUR STUPID GIANT ELECTRIC TEDDY BEAR!"

"DON'T YOU DARE! I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE IT!"

"I DO NOT!"

"Brothers, I don't believe that this arguing is solving anything."

"I KNOW THAT YOU TOOK IT!"

Ari stared wide eyed at the argument going on between the two ten foot giants and the other nine trying to stop it. Dionysus was absent. Severus was severely tempted to pull Ari back and end the call. However, before he could put action to his thought, Artemis spotted the message.

"Father, Uncle I believe that the argument needs to be put on hold for now. We have company."

The two turned sharply towards her, about to start yelling at her. However, they followed to where she pointed and spotted Ari and Severus.

Severus and Ari bowed quickly once they realized that they had the attention of the eleven immortals.

"Rise children. Merry Christmas," Zeus addressed the two with a slightly strained smile.

Ari smiled as she rose. "Merry Christmas to you too."

"What is the reason for your call, child?" Athena questioned. Silently, she and the others were grateful for the timing. The argument was stopped for now.

"I just to call and say thank you for the gifts that I received," Ari responded blushing.

Some of the gods smiled at the innocence of the child.

"You are welcome, Ari. Now, from what I understand, Dionysus should be arriving at your school tomorrow to talk to the Headmaster. Be prepared to be called down," Hestia responded.

Ari and Severus nodded. Severus had been expecting them for a while now. Deciding that it was time to end the call, Poseidon stepped forward.

"I believe that it is time that you go inside. From the looks of it, you are outside without a coat, in the middle winter. However, Ari, remember that no matter how your mother and I might act, we do care."

Ari didn't quite understand what he meant, but she nodded. With final goodbyes, Severus ended the call. He escorted Ari back up to Ravenclaw Tower and informed her that Rigby would be by with some hot chocolate and a pepperup potion.

Ari spent the rest of the evening reading ahead in some of her textbooks and looking at the book that Hestia had given to her. She made sure to return the library's copy to where it belonged. When Ari went down to her bed, she found Hedwig with a parcel.

 _"Merry Christmas, M'lady."_

"Happy Christmas, Hedwig."

 _"I went to deliver your letter to the Dursley's; however, they were not present. The house is now inhabited by another family."_

Ari was shocked by this news, "They left me?"

 _"I cannot say, M'lady. However, you do have one more package. Merlin was asked to deliver it, but I said that I would handle it."_

Ari took the package from Hedwig and opened the letter. It read, in an thin, swirling script:

 **Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you.**

 **Use it well.**

Ari opened the package and pulled out a rather strange cloak. She walked over in front of the mirror to see how it looked and was surprised to see that her body was gone.

 _"That's an invisibility cloak, M'lady. You have a sister that has a hat that does the same thing."_

Ari could tell that Hedwig was excited. However, she caught on to the reference about her sister.

"I have a sister?"

 _"Oh yes, M'lady. Many of them. And brothers too for that matter. Of course, they are all on your mother's side."_

"What about my father?"

Here Hedwig began to look uncomfortable.

"What am I not being told, Hedwig?"

Hedwig sighed, _"It is a long story, M'lady. That goes all the way back to what you humans call World War II. While the war was fought between the Allies and the Axis powers. It was also being fought between the children of Zeus and Poseidon and the children of Hades. The war was won by the children of the sea and sky, and a pact was made. The three sons of the Titan king agreed that they would sire no more demigod children."_

"And they stuck to that?" Ari asked in disbelief.

Hedwig chuckled, _"For many decades, yes they succeeded in keeping their oath. However, about 17 years ago, Zeus finally broke the oath and had a demigod daughter named Thalia. Thalia was found with two other demigods by a satyr, and they began to make their way towards camp. Along the way, they were attack by the foulest creatures that the king of the underworld could send. They made it all the way to the hill just outside camp when they were finally caught. Thalia made her final stand holding off the monsters so that her friends could make it to safety. As she died, Lord Zeus took pity on his daughter and turned her into a tree. That tree now powers the protections around Camp Half-blood."_

Ari was in shock. All of this because Zeus decided to break the oath.

"What about my father and Lord Hades?"

 _"As far as anybody knows, Lord Hades has no living demigod children. His only descendant is your professor. Almost all of his children and mortal family died during the war. As for your father, it is not yet confirmed, but there are rumors that he has also sired against the oath."_

Ari groaned. If her father has sired a demigod child, then that child's life was not going to be easy. Then again, when were any of their lives easy? She had grown up with the Dursleys, Hermione was thrown into a world completely different from that in which she grew up, Neville was raised by his grandmother and Draco was being beaten by his father.

Wait, Draco.

"Thank you for the presents Hedwig," Ari stated as she headed out of her room.

 _"M'lady, where are you going?"_

Ari turned and looked at her companion. "To see Draco. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

 _"You do realize that it is not yet curfew, and therefore, you don't need the cloak, M'lady."_

"I know. I want to see how well it works. Such as around ghosts, Peeves and pets."

With that said, Ari made her way out of the common room and began to head down to the hospital wing. While she was glad that he had been at breakfast that morning, Draco had been exhausted by the end of it and had been escorted back to the hospital wing.

The walk down was uneventful until she came across a cackling Peeves. Peeves was the school's poltergeist and a terrible prankster. It seemed as though he was in a permanent war against Filch. While most of the houses just ignored him, the Gryffindor house seemed to go out of its way to _help_ him. Right now, Peeves was floating around re-rigging the suits of armour to sing his inappropriate Christmas carols. Just that morning, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had spent about three hours running around the school fixing the suits. Looks like they were going to be stuck doing it again tomorrow.

Ari was passing by the library when she heard voices. Hearing that one of them was definitely Professor Snape, Ari snuck closer to see what was going on. The sight before her really didn't surprise her though it was unexpected.

Professor Snape had Professor Quirrell pressed up against the wall. Ari listened closely, drawing her dagger just in case she needed it. They hadn't yet got to actual usage of weapons, but Ari was certain that she could stab Professor Quirrell in the leg if need be.

"S-S-Severus, I-I don't know w-wh-what you are t-t-t-talking about?" Professor Quirrell stammered worse than normal.

"Don't play dumb with me Quirrell. I know for a fact it was you who tried to curse Potter's broom at the Quidditch game. It was just lucky for me that in her rush to set me on fire, Miss Granger ran into you."

"Y-Y-You ca-can't prove anything."

"Oh, but I can," Professor Snape sneered, "Now, answer my question."

Ari was starting to wonder what the hell was going on. It sounded as though Professor Snape was threatening Professor Quirrell but why?

"I-I-I don't k-know anything. L-Like y-y-you I was s-s-set to protect the s-s-stone. N-Not s-s-steal it."

"You know as well as I that you have been going around asking the others how strong their protections were and what they did under the disguise of trying to figure out your own protection. Yours was the last one placed in before Hagrid's. Therefore, Hagrid's is the only one that you don't know."

'What they heck are they talking about?'

Ari was about to continue on her way when Filch came running down the halls.

"Professors! The terrors have done it again! They are out of bed. Dungbombs were set off near the Ravenclaw Tower; however, I can't get in. And Miss Potter won't respond."

Professor Snape groaned, "Miss Potter is not restricted to Ravenclaw Tower. She very well might have been invited to Gryffindor Tower by the Weasleys."

"I already checked there. They haven't seen her since breakfast. Nobody has."

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed, and Ari flinched. She really needed to get back to the tower before Severus came looking for her. The only saving grace was that the door seemed to be giving a difficult riddle this time around.

Ari began to creep her way back down the hall. She noticed a door to her right that was slightly open and decided to sneak in there. Once she entered, she noticed an archaic looking mirror. Taking a closer look, she noticed that there was an inscription along the edge of the mirror. It read:

Mirror of Erised. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

"I show not your face but your hearts desire," Ari muttered under her breath. She took a look in the mirror and almost stepped back. There in the mirror was not only her reflection but also the Olympians and other people. Amongst the Olympians was a satyr, a centaur, a boy her age with black hair that looked like he just got out of bed (messy and shaggy) and olive skin, a boy with black hair and bright green eyes, a girl with blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, and a girl with electric blue eyes and spiky black hair. On the other side of the mirror, were people dressed like wizards. There was a man with messy black hair and hazel eyes, a woman with red hair and bright green eyes and a man who looked as though he was carved from the same stone as the Weasley twins with his black hair and grey eyes that gleamed with mischief and merriment. The final person was a man who looked as though he had seen better days. His face was covered in scars, his green eyes looked tired but happy and his brown hair was starting to show early signs of greying.

Overall, the group looked to be happy. While she didn't know the majority of the people in the mirror, Ari knew that they were all somehow important to her. She had no idea what this meant for her. If this was supposed to be her desire, then what was it?

"Ari," a voice startled her out of her contemplations.

She whipped around to come face to face with Professor Dumbledore.

"Headmaster. Is it past curfew? I lost track of time," Ari began to ramble as she realized what this could look like.

"No, no my dear child. There is still an hour until curfew; however, you have half of the castle looking for you right now. Nobody has seen you since your impromptu lesson with Professor Snape."

Ari blanched, "I am sorry. I was going to go and check on Draco. I didn't realize that I needed to tell anybody."

As she was talking, Ari began to walk towards the door which gave the Headmaster a clear view of what was standing behind his student. Ari could have sworn he went a little pale.

"I see that you have discovered the Mirror of Erised. Have you yet figured out what it does?"

"It shows your heart's desire, but I can't figure out what mine is," Ari admitted.

"Well, let's talk and logic through it, shall we?"

Ari nodded.

"Describe to me what you see," the Headmaster instructed.

Ari did as she was told. As she continued, the Headmaster began to smile.

"What you have described, is both your adopted family and your birth family. If you had not already met your family, I would say that your desire was to have one."

"Thing is though that I know that I have one. I even have a cousin here so that can't be it."

"Correct, how are the people in the mirror reacting to you and to each other?"

Ari took a close look. Many of the people seemed to be hugging her or talking animatedly to each other. Overall, she really couldn't see a divide between the Greeks and the wizards. She said as much to the Headmaster.

"Then I believe that it is safe to say that your desire is to be accepted and for the two halves of your life to somehow get along. It is well known, as I believe Professor Snape has told you, Lady Magic has forbidden _any_ interaction between the Greeks and us. It seems that your desire is to get rid of the barrier."

Ari nodded that sounded like something that she would desire.

"Now, I believe it is time for you to head up to Ravenclaw Tower. Last I saw, the staff and students were trying to riddle out the question to get inside."

Ari chuckled wondering what the door had asked that had the teachers unable to answer. Ari neared the top of the tower with Professor Dumbledore to find absolute pandemonium. Standing around the door was Filch, Percy, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. Ari was very close to breaking down in laughter.

"Repeat the riddle again!" Filch ordered to the door.

 _"What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?"_

"Ok, let's think," Professor Flitwick stated.

"Miss Potter had better be here. Honestly, half the school is searching the castle and grounds looking for her, and the other half is standing here befuddled by a riddle-filled door," Professor McGonagall professed.

Ari decided it was time to walk forward and put the teachers and Percy out of their misery. She squeezed her way past the teachers until she was in front of the door. They were all still too busy arguing with one another to notice that their target was amongst them.

"Queue," Ari stated clearly.

"Correct."

The door swung open and Ari walked into the common room shutting the door behind her to the ringing laughter of the Headmaster.


	13. Chapter 12

**Beta'd by LadyofSomething and Phantasmagorical Me.**

 **Chapter 12**

While Ari was preparing for bed, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, Filch, and Percy finally seemed to realize that they had a near-hyperventilation Headmaster in their presence. Professor McGonagall hurried over to the Headmaster to get him to calm down.

"Honestly, Albus. Miss Potter is missing, and you are laughing yourself into suffocation. What could honestly be so funny?" Professor McGonagall snapped. On the outside she was maintaining an aura of irritation but inside she was beside herself with worry. If they had lost the Potter girl... no, she didn't even want to _think_ of the possible consequences.

"My dear Minerva, I believe that once you get inside you will find that there is no need to search for Miss Potter anymore."

Professor McGonagall gave an exasperated sigh, "Yes, we realize that. That is why we have been trying to get past this thrice damned door."

The Headmaster nodded and turned to the door, "A riddle please."

 _"What can you hear but not see and only speaks when spoken too?"_

The four that had been trying to answer the riddle stared at the door in utter disbelief. It was almost comical.

"That is a different riddle!" Percy exclaimed incredulously, pointing out the obvious as well as pointing his finger.

"You are correct, Mr. Weasley." McGonagall said curtly and then turned back to the Headmaster. "Albus, we might wish to check the door, the riddle isn't supposed to change until-" Understanding suddenly dawned. McGonagall's face went slack with worry. "Somebody already answered the riddle."

The Headmaster couldn't resist and once more was doubled over in laughter. Everybody thought that this was rather facetious timing, but no one bothered to reprimand him. He was Dumbledore, after all.

"Who answered the riddle?" Professor Flitwick questioned, straightening his hat uneasily. "This means that somebody was amongst us while we were arguing.

 _"Miss Potter answered the riddle. Now, if you don't mind, either answer my riddle or leave my presence. My charge is trying to sleep."_

Everybody turned to stare at the door in shock. It never spoke anything except riddles. Professor Dumbledore finally managed to get control of himself again and walked forward.

"An echo," He replied, in answer to the riddle.

 _"Correct, Headmaster."_

The door swung open once more, and the group quickly made their way inside as though they believed that the door might change its mind.

"Which floor are the first year girls on, Filius?"

"The first one, Minerva."

With quick nod, Professor McGonagall made her way down to the dormitories and into the floor that held the first year girls. Once there, she slowly opened the door to Ari's room and peered inside. Ari was on her bed sound asleep looking completely at peace with the world. Her wand was resting on top of her glasses on the bedside table, and she was fully dressed, as if she had been too tired to change.

With a tiny smile upon her face, Professor McGonagall closed the door with a small click and made her way back up to the common room.

"Miss Potter is present and asleep. I believe that we can recall the search parties. Filch go and fetch Hagrid from the forest. I will go and inform Severus."

Everybody nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. They were just happy that the student was ok.

"Minerva, Severus is still in the Hospital Wing with Mr. Malfoy."

Professor McGonagall nodded, "How is Mr. Malfoy?"

"Madame Pomfrey assures me that he will make a complete recovery; however, I cannot, in good conscience, allow him to return home. He will most likely remain at Hogwarts this summer."

Professor McGonagall nodded and left. She made her way down to the Hospital Wing, informing search parties as she went that Miss Potter had been found. She entered the silent wing and made her way over to the only occupied bed. As she entered the silent wing and made her way over to the only occupied bed, she silently thanked whatever omniscient being was out there for allowing Ari her safety.

She also shook her head. That girl would be the death of them someday; stop all of their hearts from worry.

Snape was sitting at Malfoy's bedside. Placing her hand on her colleague's shoulder, McGonagall drew him out of whatever morbid thoughts were going around in his dark mind.

"Severus, Miss Potter has been located. She is fine; sound asleep in her bed."

Professor Snape nodded; he had suspected as much, "We would all do well to remember that Miss Potter is neither James nor the Marauders reincarnated. She isn't going to blow up the school. That _honorable_ task seems to be the life long ambition of the Weasley Twins."

Professor McGonagall snorted: she had no idea how it happened, but Severus' attitude had done a 180 about a month before school started. Before Severus had been sent to fetch Miss Potter, he had been adamant that she was going to be just as spoiled and arrogant as her father. After his trip, however, he no longer voiced such opinions and was now going as far as to give Miss Potter extra lessons.

Both professors fell into a comfortable silence as they listened to the sounds of the night, each lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until Draco began to stir that they pulled out of their thoughts.

Draco gave a groan as he tried to pull his way into consciousness. He had been sent back to the Hospital Wing after opening presents. Madame Pomfrey didn't want him to overdo it. He had been given a check over and then left to rest.

Professor Snape noticed that Draco was coming out of consciousness.

"Minerva, fetch Poppy, I believe that Mr. Malfoy has decided to rejoin us."

Professor McGonagall nodded and rushed out of the room to fetch the mediwitch. A few seconds later, Draco opened his eyes with a groan.

"Easy Mr. Malfoy, we wouldn't want you to have to spend even longer in here then you already have," Professor Snape warned while he assisted Draco in sitting up and drinking some water.

"Alright, alright, leave me to my patient! Everybody out!" Madame Pomfrey ordered as she rushed over to her only patient.

Both professors knew how Madame Pomfrey was when she had a patient; so, they left with nothing more than a glare (Professor Snape) and a scoff (Professor McGonagall). They continued to walk together in silence until they came to the staircase.

"Well, happy Christmas, Severus."

"Goodnight, Minerva."

Pleasantries exchanged, they both continued on their way to their individual quarters. It would be a few more days before Draco was released from the hospital and the tender care of the overbearing mediwitch.

 **oOo**

The next morning at breakfast, the teachers kept an eye on both Ari and the still extremely exhausted Draco. Draco had insisted upon getting out of the Hospital Wing because he was bored and going stir crazy. What had finally convinced Madame Pomfrey to release him, however, was her walking in on him plotting pranks with the Weasley twins. Everybody was keeping an eye on the two students who seemed to always be in trouble.

Ari groaned as she realized that she was not imagining the staring.

"Great."

"What?" Draco asked as he grabbed some more food.

"The teachers aren't going to let us out of their sights because of you being sick and me pulling a disappearing act yesterday."

Draco nearly choked on his food as he quickly turned to stare at his friend.

"YOU DID WHAT!?"

"I kind of vanished for a few hours. Nothing major and nobody would have noticed if it weren't for the fact that Fred and George had decided to set off dung bombs right outside Ravenclaw Tower. Filch blamed me."

At the staff table, Professor Snape was reading Ari's lips and was internally groaning. He was going to have to talk with his student about always letting somebody know where she was. It was a safety precaution.

Speaking of safety precautions, he needed to inform the Headmaster of Lord D's impending arrival today.

"Headmaster-"

The Headmaster turned towards his potions master, "Yes, Severus."

"A guest will be arriving today in relation to Miss Potter and her placement this summer."

The Headmaster's eyes widened slightly, "Am I to guess that it is one of our guests from the Quidditch match?"

Professor Snape only nodded, and that was all the Headmaster needed.

"Meet me in my office after breakfast."

Severus nodded again and went back to eating.

It was only a few minutes later when a frantic house elf appeared behind the Headmaster and began to whisper frantically.

"Alright, Mipsey, I have it all in hand, thank you," the Headmaster responded before standing up. "I need for Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick; Madame Pomfrey and Miss Potter to please follow me to my office."

The ten students turned to look at the only student that had been called, Ari.

"Ari, do you know what is going on?"

Ari shook her head, "No, Draco. I don't."

"You'd better go, Potter," a third year Hufflepuff stated, pointing to the leaving Professors.

Ari quickly gathered her belongings and followed the Professors. She didn't know where the Headmaster's office was so she was quick to catch up.

Professor Snape noticed her hurrying to catch up and slowed down so that the student didn't get lost.

"What have you done this time, Miss Potter?"

Ari glared at her professor, "As far as I know, _I_ have done nothing. When is Lord D supposed to arrive?"

The last question caused Professor Snape to pause.

"Today."

"Then is it possible that he has just arrived earlier than expected?"

"Come along, you two," Professor McGonagall snapped from in front of a gargoyle.

Ari approached the rest of the teachers and looked around. She didn't see a painting that looked as though it would be protecting an office. However, the gargoyle looked like it could be a guardian like the Ravenclaw door.

"Twizzlers."

Ari snapped out of her thoughts in time to see the gargoyle begin to move.

"I trust that you will keep my password a secret, Miss Potter."

Ari looked up at the smiling Headmaster and nodded. After all, it wasn't her business what the password was. She wasn't planning on making trips here a daily occurrence.

"Well then, let's go see our guest."

Professor Dumbledore led the group up to the top of the winding stairwell and through the door at the top. Already inside the magnificent office were two people. Only, one of them was not human, and one of them was a god.

Ari was too busy looking around the office to actually pay attention to the people that were in it. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. Ari had a strong urge to ask the Headmaster what they were for, but she refrained. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were wide awake and eagerly asking what was going on. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat - _the Sorting Hat_. The hat sat on top of a bookshelf full of ancient tombs that looked as though they would fall apart at the most minute of touches.

Ari was drawn out of her wanderings by somebody clearing their throat. Looking at the adults in the room, Ari noticed that the majority of them had a form of amusement in their eyes. Professor Snape's was the hardest to see, but it was there.

"Now that Miss Potter has joined us, shall we begin?" Professor McGonagall inquired.

"Yes, well, all of you will remember me from the game that I attended with my family. However, for a refresher, I am Dionysus, a 'cousin' of Ari's for lack of a better term."

The other man next to Dionysus stepped forward. He was a centaur.

"My name is Chiron. I am a trainer at the camp that-"

"Camp? What camp?" Madame Pomfrey interrupted. She remembered the group from the Hospital Wing; however, she had not been informed about a camp.

"You are all aware, as of the... what do you call it... Quidditch game, that Ari found her birth family?"

The teachers all nodded.

"You are all aware of who this family truly is?"

Here half the occupants nodded and half shook their heads. Professor Flitwick however quickly went from shaking to nodding as he recognized the name.

"You are the Greek gods."

Chiron nodded, "Yes, an exception has been made for you four to know about us so that you can help Ari. Two of you already knew about us. How are you doing, Severus?"

Professor inclined his head to his former trainer, "I am doing about as well as can been expected under the circumstances, Chiron."

"Excuse me, not meaning to be rude, but what was this you said about a camp, and why are you here?" Professor Sprout questioned.

"As I already stated, I am Chiron, a trainer at the camp that Ari's family wishes for her to attend."

"Are you _the_ Chiron?" Ari questioned.

"Yes, child. As far as I know, I am the only Chiron," Chiron replied with a smile. "Now, your parents wish for you to attend camp a minimum of the summer so that you can be trained."

"Trained in what?" Madame Pomfrey inquired.

"Archery, swords, daggers, hand-to-hand, rock climbing, Greek language, basic medical skills, arts and crafts, etc. Basically, everything that a demi-god needs to survive," Professor Snape responded.

"And, why, _Severus_ , would Miss Potter need to learn that?"

"Because if she doesn't, she will wind up in your Hospital Wing, most likely dead. Somebody with her parentage will not escape without being attacked at least once on a yearly basis."

Madame Pomfrey paled. She had grown fond of Miss Potter from the two times that she had thus far spent in her Hospital Wing. The child was polite and quiet; even if she didn't like to be locked up.

"I think we are all in agreement that Miss Potter needs training. She can't use magic during the summers due to the laws, and this will give her a way to defend herself."

Chiron nodded, they were thinking logically about the situation. The gods had feared that these teachers would be harder to convince. That is why he had been called in to accompany Mr. D.

"What day does school end for Ari?"

"The students are sent home on June 1st," Professor McGonagall answered.

"Then we will expect her that evening in time for dinner. Severus, I trust you remember the location to set the portkey to?"

Severus nodded. He remembered very well where the camp was located.

"Then, I believe that we are done here. By the way, Severus, I was told to inform you not to bother going after the Dursleys. You won't find them."

"Why is that? I tried to send them a letter; however, Hedwig said that another family was living there," Ari spoke up. She had been curious about this.

"Your parents, uncles, and brother had a little 'chat' with them," here Dionysus turned towards the teachers in the room with a fierce glare. "Either find her another place to live, or she will be staying at camp year round. Poseidon and Athena will not stand for a repeat of this. To be honest, none of us will."

The teachers nodded.

With that, the god and immortal teacher left the office.

"Well, now that that is settled, we have one more issue to solve."

"Albus, what is going on? At the Quidditch match, they introduced themselves as Ari's family, but who are they?" Professor Sprout questioned.

"They are Miss Potter's birth family. Lord Poseidon and Lady Athena are her parents, and you can figure out the rest of the relations from there."

Professor Flitwick paled and turned to look at his raven.

"You mean that Ari is a-"

"Yes professor, however let's just go with over powerful demigod for now please."

The adults nodded. While still not exactly a safe label, it was definitely less dangerous than somebody finding out that she was a mortal goddess.

"Where will Miss Potter be staying during the summer?" Madame Pomfrey inquired.

"She needs to stay with a blood relative, and as luck would have it, we have one here in the school."

Here the teachers all turned towards Severus, who just rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Miss Potter, will be staying at Hogwarts while she in not at camp. Both her and Mr. Malfoy will be staying in their dormitories. I believe that Filius can explain how blood wards work."

The charms professor nodded, "Blood wards go around the home of the blood relation of the person that needs the protection. In this case, Miss Potter needs the protection, Severus is her relation and the home is- HOGWARTS!"

All the eyes widened while the Headmaster smiled and nodded.

"Yes, the blood wards will be added to the wards of Hogwarts. This means that Miss Potter will literally be under them all year while in school, minus the months at camp, and therefore if she wishes, she could spend part of the summer with her friends. Severus, I believe that this fulfills your wish of not being stuck with her more than three weeks. She does have to be here around her birthday this year; however, after that, I see no reason why she can't go see her friends."

A huge smile broke out on Ari's face. She wasn't going back to the Dursleys, and because of the wards, she would be safe and didn't have to stay here all summer. During the first lesson after her mini hurricane in Professor Snape's chambers, Professor Snape had explained to her that she was placed with the Dursleys for protection against the remaining followers of Voldemort. However, they were working on trying to find a way around that. It looked now as though they had succeeded.

With everything set for the coming summer, Ari was sent back to her dormitories, and the teachers continued to talk about plans for the upcoming term.

 **oOo**

The students returned from break eager to see their friends and swap stories about what they did over the month long break. Ari and her friends were no exception to the rule. If Ari had a bigger smile on her face than when they had left, her friends honestly didn't care. They were happy to see her happy.

"Thank you so much for the book, Ari!"

"No problem, Hermione. Thank you for the chocolate frogs."

The group continued to thank each other for the gifts that they had received. Hermione and Faye got a good laugh out of the Dr. Seuss books that Ron and Draco had received. After dinner, all the students were sent to the their dorms to get ready for classes that resumed the next day.

The next morning, the group gathered at the Gryffindor table and continued talking about their breaks. Ari was enjoying just listening to her friends talk about all the gifts they got until Hermione pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Ari where did you get that bracelet; it's beautiful," Hermione asked motioning to the bracelet that Ari had taken to wearing everywhere.

"Oh, it was a gift."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Obviously, but from whom?"

Ari didn't want to answer, and it was quite obvious to everyone whose attention had been drawn into the conversation. Neville noticed Ari's discomfort and decided to change the topic.

"So, Draco, why weren't you on the train yesterday?"

Draco paled. That was _not_ what he wanted to talk about.

"Ummm….I…"

"He returned early because there was a change in plans," Ari interjected effectively ending _that_ conversation. "I did however discover something over the break."

She had now gained everybody's attention. Not even Draco knew about this because Ari had not wanted to repeat herself multiple times.

"I received a mystery gift; an invisibility cloak."

"You received a WHAT?!" Draco and Ron yelled.

"Ari do you know how rare that is?"

"An invisibility cloak, and I think I have a relative idea. Apparently the cloak belonged to my father."

Everybody clammed up. They knew that this was going to be a touchy subject.

"Anyways, I decided to go down to the….well I decided to test it out by going and visiting Draco. However, before I could make it down to him, I ran into Professors Snape and Quirrell."

"So Snape is trying to get Quirrell to work for him now?" Ron accused.

"No! More like he was trying to prevent Quirrell from causing any more issues," Ari corrected, "In any case, they were talking about protections and Hagrid's being the last one put into place. I am guessing that that would be the Cerberus."

"Did they mention what the Cerberus was protecting?" Caillen questioned immediately interested in trying to solve a mystery.

"A stone of some sort," Ari whispered while looking pointedly over at Ron's older brothers who seemed to be trying to listen in.

"Ari, that can be any number of magical stones. Just a few are the Baetylus, the Cintamani, the Philosopher's stone, the Sessho-seki, the Stone of Giramphiel, the Singasteinn, the Llech, the Ronw, the Adder Stone, the Lyngurium, the Resurrection Stone, the Toadstone, the Stone of Scone, the Sledovik, the Lia Fáil, the Thunderstone, and the Gjőll. While all of them are said to be powerful in their own sense, there is no way to know which one it is." Keina reasoned.

Ari nodded that seemed to be about right. The others were just staring wide eyed at the Ravenclaws.

"Only a Ravenclaw would know something as trivial as that," the Weasley Twins piped up together.

Ari and Keina did the mature thing and stuck their tongues out at the twins.

"So, what are we going to do?" Ron questioned.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Weren't you paying attention, Ronald? We don't _do_ anything. There is no way to know exactly what is being protected, what is protecting it, or even why it is being protected. The teachers have it under control. We leave it alone."

The group nodded. It was obvious that the teachers had it all under control. There was no point in trying to get themselves killed solving a mystery that wasn't theirs to solve.

While the teachers attempted to jump right back into learning, the students were not as equally enthusiastic (as is normal in pretty much every school). Ari found it was exceptionally difficult to focus in when Defense came around on Tuesday.

Ari was rubbing her head when a piece of paper slid in front of her on her desk.

 _'Are you ok, Ari?'_

'No, my head's killing me.'

 _'You want to stop by the Hospital Wing after class?'_

'Yeah, I guess I better. If I don't, somebody will find out, and I will be in more trouble than I would have been if I had just gone on my own.

"Mi-Miss P-Potter. P-P-Please answer the question."

Ari looked up at the sound of her professor standing right in front of her. The second that she met Professor Quirrell's eyes, her head started to pound again.

"I'm sorry Professor, my head is hurting. Could you repeat the question?"

"Y-Yes. O-Of course. What is the incantation for Red Sparks?"

"Periculum, Professor,"

"C-Correct. F-Five points to Ravenclaw."

Ari nodded and put her head back down on the table, and kept it there for the rest of the lesson. As soon as class was over, Draco grabbed Ari by her arm and all but dragged her to the Hospital Wing.

"Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey!"

"What do you think you are doing yelling, Mr. Mal-" the Mediwitch began to reprimand the young Slytherin before she caught sight of Ari. "Up here on the bed, Miss Potter."

Ari, being too tired to argue just did as she was asked. Madame Pomfrey set up some curtains and told Ari to change. Once Ari was done changing, Madame Pomfrey came inside the curtains and began to check over her frequent patient.

"Well, what is bothering you today, Miss Potter?"

"My head was hurting during Defense. But honestly, I am fine."

"I will be the judge of that."

Madame Pomfrey continued to run scans and cast spells; making sure to run those that would judge her magic. Her magic was still strong even without a core.

"It looks as though you just have a migraine. Do you have anymore classes today?"

"No ma'am. I don't have to take flying anymore. But I have Quidditch practice tonight."

Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes, "Unless I see improvement, Miss Potter, you will be missing practice until further notice. Stay here for a few hours, and if you feel better, you can return to your dormitory for the night."

"But, Mada-"

"No buts, Miss Potter. Your health comes first. Now, rest."

With that, she handed Ari a headache potion and left the curtained off area.

"Mr. Malfoy, please inform a teacher that Miss Potter will not be at dinner tonight."

Draco looked towards the curtained off area with great worry showing in his eyes.

"Is she going to be alright?"

Madame Pomfrey smiled, "She will be fine. She has probably been spreading herself too thin with all of the extra lessons, regular lessons and Quidditch practices that she has been trying to balance. Now, go on I believe that you have class before dinner."

Draco's eyes widened as he realized that he had only ten minutes to get outside to the field for flying lessons. He ran out of the Hospital Wing without a goodbye.

At dinner, the entire group was worried. Draco had told them quietly what had occurred during Defense and that Ari was stuck in the Hospital Wing until later tonight. Draco looked up at the teachers' table and noticed that both Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick were present.

"Guys, I'll be right back. Madame Pomfrey wanted me to explain to the teachers where Ari is."

The group nodded, and Draco headed up to the head table. Though the walk was a short one, he could feel all eyes turning on him as the students noticed where he was heading. His head of house raised his eyebrow upon his approach.

"What do you need, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Snape questioned his student.

Draco looked at Professor Flitwick and directed the answer towards the head of Ravenclaw.

"Madame Pomfrey wanted me to inform you that Ari is staying in the Hospital Wing until at least after dinner and that she isn't going to be attending Quidditch practice tonight."

The professors' eyes widened. This was _not_ good. What had happened this time? The teachers looked out at the students and noticed that every single one was listening in on the conversation. It was, however, too late to do anything about it.

"What happened?" Professor Flitwick asked.

Draco, realizing what the teachers did, kept his answer short, "She was feeling sick during Defense. So, I took her to Madame Pomfrey."

"Alright, go eat," Professor Snape dismissed his student.

Draco nodded and headed back to his friends. As he sat down, he noticed that the heads of houses and the Ravenclaw Quidditch team all left the Great Hall. He gave a great sigh as he began to fill his plate.

"Draco, is Ari really ok?" Hermione questioned concern showing clearly upon her face.

"Yeah, 'Mione. Madame Pomfrey thinks she is just trying to take on too much and is exhausted."

"I warned her about that," Keina put in with Caillen nodding.

"I think we all did," Neville admitted.

"Why does she take those extra lessons so often? She seems to have got enough control that she doesn't need to go so often."

"I don't know, and she won't talk about them," Draco responded sadly.

That was true. Ever since she had begun her extra lessons, the group had been trying to get Ari to open up to them about what was going on in them. However, she remained tight lipped about the whole thing. She refused to let them help her practice with her powers, and she refused to back off on any of her practices, Quidditch or elemental.

Therefore, they did all that they could in helping her with her school work. Ari was still considered among the top students in the first years. And that was exceptionally true when one took into account all of her extracurriculars.

The group finished eating and then made their way to the Hospital Wing.

 **oOo**

Once Draco had gone back to his seat, the teachers gave each other a look and as one left the Great Hall and headed towards the Hospital Wing.

"Why does it always seem to be that Miss Potter is always in trouble or injured?" Professor Flitwick complained as the group quickly made their way down the abandoned hallways.

"It does seem like she seems to be a trouble magnet," the Headmaster admitted.

"That will only continue as she gets older because monsters from both the magical and godly world will track her down to test her and harm her," Professor Snape put in. He really hated to be the bearer of bad news.

"You aren't helping matters, Severus," Professor McGonagall admonished.

"It needs to be said, Minerva. This is the reason why the gods decided to go ahead and let you in on the knowledge of who they are and what Ari is."

"Well, I say we see how Miss Potter is feeling and if she knows the reason for her headaches in Defense," Professor Dumbledore stated putting an end to the conversation as he opened the doors to the Hospital Wing.

The group made their way over to the only bed that was occupied. Madame Pomfrey had long since removed the curtains from around the bed. Ari was currently sitting up in bed eating a bowl of soup. Upon noticing the teachers approaching her bed, Ari placed the bowl on the table beside her bed and smiled up at her teachers.

"How are you feeling, Miss Potter?" the Headmaster questioned.

"I am feeling better, but Madame Pomfrey insists that I stay for a bit longer."

The teachers nodded; that sounded exactly like the Mediwitch. Just then, said Mediwitch entered the ward.

"Have you finished your soup, Miss Potter?"

"Not yet, ma'am."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"The Professors wanted to talk to me."

"Go ahead and eat, Ari," Professor Snape interjected.

Ari nodded, picked up her bowl and continued to eat while the teachers talked around her.

"Have you figured out what is ailing her yet, Madame Pomfrey?" Professor Flitwick inquired still extremely worried about his little raven.

"Not yet. All I know is that her head started hurting in Defense and after about half an hour here it started to feel better."

"So is there anything to keep her here tonight?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No, sir. She is free to return to her dormitory after she finishes eating."

Just then, the doors to the Hospital Wing slammed open and in stormed the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

"Ari, what have you done this time?" Serra shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Serra, I think we should wait outside," Alex tried to reason with his captain.

"No, I want to know how she has managed to once again place herself in the Hospital Wing. It is only the second day back!"

"Miss Stone, cease this inappropriate behavior at once," Professor McGonagall snapped. "You are in a Hospital Wing not on a Quidditch Pitch."

Serra blushed in embarrassment. She was just extremely worried about her seeker who always seemed to be either injured or in trouble.

"I am sorry Professors. Ari, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, Serra. I will be fine in time for practice on Thursday."

Serra nodded and her and the rest of the Quidditch team left to go practice. They were going to have to manage for one night without a seeker. As they were leaving, Ari and the professors were certain that they heard Serra mention something about bludgers, ropes, quaffles, and heads.

The professors turned and looked at Ari. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, and Ari knew that an explanation was needed.

"The bludgers and Quaffles I believe are self explanatory. The mention of heads was probably about me and that I need to get mine on straight, or it was her telling the beaters where they need to aim the bludgers. I have no idea what the rope is for; however, knowing Serra, I should probably be glad that I'm missing practice tonight."

A groan was heard coming from the direction of Professor Flitwick. Everybody looked over to see him hanging his head and muttering things along the lines of- obsessed Quidditch captains, needing to pick better, needing to get priorities straight, and sitting in on practice occasionally.

Ari chuckled it looked as though Serra was going to dealing with overbearing professors in the future at Quidditch practices.

"I believe that it is time for Miss Potter to return to her dormitory," the Headmaster finally spoke up once Ari had stopped chuckling, and Professor Flitwick had stopped muttering.

Now, it was Madame Pomfrey's turn to start muttering, "I would rather just keep her here on a permanent basis if she going to keep doing this to herself."

However, despite her mutterings, Madame Pomfrey reset up the curtains and allowed Ari to change back into her school robes. Ari came back out five minutes later.

"Return to Ravenclaw Tower and try to get some homework done, Miss Potter," Professor Flitwick instructed.

"Yes, sir," Ari responded as she began to head towards the door.

"Miss Potter, please remember we have lessons tomorrow night."

"Yes, sir."

With that, Ari made her way back to her dormitory and the teachers broke up for the night. Hopefully, this term didn't turn out as interesting as the last one.

Once he was safely back in his quarters, Professor Snape knew that he needed to let the gods know what was going on with Ari. He grabbed a drachma and created a rainbow.

"O goddess, accept my offering."

The rainbow shimmered as he threw the drachma into the rainbow.

"Olympian Council, Mount Olympus."

Within seconds, the image changed to show the Olympian Council hall and once more eleven arguing gods.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WON'T JUST GIVE IT BACK!"

"THERE IS NOTHING TO GIVE BACK BECAUSE I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING!"

"WHO DID YOU GET TO TAKE IT?"

"NOBODY! I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR LIGHTNING BOLT IS, BROTHER?"

Professor Snape remained quiet as he waited to be recognized. He was just grateful that Ari was not with him; especially when the two gods came to blows.

"GIVE IT BACK!" Zeus ordered as he suddenly decided to escalate the fight. He summoned a massive bolt of lightning and sent it straight at his brother.

Poseidon was flung back into the wall on the other side of the hall. The reaction from the other gods was instantaneous. Ares, Hephaestus, and Athena went to restrain Zeus while Apollo, Hera, and Artemis went to check and tend to Poseidon. The others took up positions between the two; hoping to stop anymore blows. A few minutes later, Poseidon was back on his feet and more than a little pissed.

"I am done here, _brother_. I will return for the solstice on June 21st, and I expect an apology at that time."

Before he could flash out; however, Poseidon caught sight of the Iris message and saw the professor that was taking care of his daughter. He gave a sigh as he headed over to the message.

"What can we do for you, Severus?"

Severus gave a quick bow before answering the question. The rest of the gods were a little embarrassed that they had not noticed the message sooner.

"The Council wished for me to keep them up to date on what was occurring with Miss Potter."

That one statement caught everybody's attention.

"What has happened, Severus?" Athena asked walking up to stand before the message and therefore next to Poseidon.

"Nothing major, I just felt that the Council would like to know that she found herself in the Hospital Wing ton-"

"WHAT!? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?" Poseidon yelled.

Professor Snape flinched.

"Was she attacked, Severus?" Artemis inquired.

"No, my Lady. From what we can tell, she just had a headache."

"You are not speaking the full truth. What are you not telling us?" Apollo pressured.

Poseidon glared at the professor.

"I do not like being lied to, descendant of Hades. I will ask one more time. What happened to my daughter?"

The gods all paled. Poseidon was definitely beyond pissed, and Severus had picked a really bad time to bring bad news and to withhold information.

Luckily, Severus was a smart man and realized this.

"There is a teacher at school who does not wish the children well being. I am currently doing everything that I can to prevent him from doing any harm. However, I fear that the issue will soon come to head. Unfortunately, his main target seems to be Ari."

Now all of the gods were standing and coming closer to the message. Zeus too came closer and he and Poseidon came to a temporary truce. Ari had nothing to do with their argument and would not become harmed by it if they could prevent it.

"Anything else, Severus?" Poseidon questioned trying to keep his temper under control. This was _not_ what he needed right now.

"I once more emphasis that I know nothing for one hundred percent certain."

The gods nodded so he deemed it safe to continue.

"I believe that the teacher in question is in some way connected to the man that killed the family that Ari was placed with by Hecate and who then tried to kill Ari."

"HE DID WHAT!?" Poseidon and Athena both yelled.

The gods flinched and Severus paled. They hadn't been told yet that Ari had almost been killed when she was one.

"Who is this man, Severus?" Ares asked, looking ready to go to war. He wanted a good fight.

"That is another one of the problems, many people believe this man to be dead. Killed by Ari when he attacked her when she was one."

"And what do the rest of you believe?" Athena asked upon catching the wording that he used.

Severus sighed, "The rest of us believe that this is only a temporary halt in the war of the magical world. The rest of us believe that he will return."

The gods looked at each other; this was _not_ good news.

"What is Ari's condition?" Poseidon finally asked.

"She has returned to her dormitory and is feeling better."

"Keep us up to date. We will confer with Hades to see what is going on with this man," Zeus stated.

Severus recognized the dismissal for what it was. He bowed his head and ended the message. As he prepared for bed, he knew that nothing was going to be easy from here on out.

 **oOo**

Ari spent the rest of the week being watched. Professor Snape made it very clear during her lessons that she was to spend as little time with Professor Quirrell as possible, and if her head started to hurt again, she was to go straight to the Hospital Wing.

Ari's schedule quickly picked back up after the first week of classes, and she was once more busy every night. The fifth and seventh years actually felt that they had it easy compared to little Ari Potter the first year that people expected way too much from.

Quidditch practices started to become more intense as the months of January and February came to an end. While Serra was not nearly as obsessed as the Gryffindor captain, Oliver Wood, she still insisted upon them practicing in all types of weather.

At one point during the month of February, the entire team was in the Hospital Wing with either a cold or the flu. This had the unexpected but completely welcome consequence of the professors putting their feet down that nobody could practice outside in weather below 30 degrees. It wasn't healthy or safe.

The first game of the new term came with Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin on February 28th. The weather was awful, and the captains were actually considering asking to postpone the game. However, a little rain never stopped a Quidditch game, and the temperature was deemed safe.

As the teams walked out on to the pitch, Ari looked up into the staff/guest stands and saw a teenage boy that looked like her father; Triton. Ari hoped to be able to talk to him after the game; if she wasn't stuck in the Hospital Wing again.

The game began with Serra and Marcus trying to break each other's hands as per tradition and then the action began. Due to the wind, Ari was not able to hear Jordan's commentary, and she seriously doubted that anybody else could as well.

About a half hour into the game, the rain began. Ari was now seriously upset. Her uncle and father couldn't have held off on their temper tantrums until _after_ the game?

Up in the stands, Triton was thinking the same thing. As he watched the young girl fly around the field, 'Seriously, are you trying to kill Ari, Dad?' was a recurring thought in his mind.

He kept a very close eye on Ari but knew that there was very little that he would be able to do if she was to fall, or gods forbid, get struck by a lightning bolt. He could only hope that the game ended quickly. Taking a quick look at the score, he noted that while Ravenclaw was ahead, the game needed to just end. It honestly didn't matter who won.

Triton spotting the captain of his sister's team calling for a timeout. However, it took a good ten minutes to get everybody on the ground. Ari had been flying the highest and hadn't seen or heard the call for a timeout.

"Who called the timeout?" Ari questioned once she made it over to the team.

"I did. Ari, we need you to catch the snitch. This weather is only going to get worse."

"Are the Slytherins playing like they did against the Gryffindors?"

"Shockingly, no," Alex answered. "They actually seem to be playing fairly. Whether that is because of the weather or because they remember what happened your first game, I don't know. However, they haven't sent a bludger towards you all game."

"Yeah, I noticed, and I am grateful for that."

"Ari, find the snitch."

"I am trying, but for all I know, the little pest is stuck in a tree somewhere because of all this wind."

"Then check the trees and the drainage system along the edge of the pitch if you must. Just finish it."

At that moment, Madame Hooch came over and asked if they were ready to resume. Serra told her they were, and the game continued. Ari decided to take Serra's advice and check the drainage system. As she flew that way, Terence Higgs, the Slytherin seeker, flew up alongside of her.

"What do you think you are doing, Potter?" He yelled so she could hear him over the wind.

"Checking the drainage system for the stupid gold ball that you and I are supposed to be chasing. At this point, it and the trees are the only places we haven't looked yet."

"You do realize that right now, the drainage system is full of water, there isn't enough room to fly down there without drowning."

"And if we don't look and the snitch is down there, we are going to be stuck out here all night. I'm going."

"Well, then good luck to you."

With that, Higgs flew off to tell his captain what was going on. Flint had told his seeker basically the same thing that Serra had told Ari. Do anything to finish the game. It doesn't matter at this point.

"Flint!"

The captain of the Slytherin team turned towards his seeker.

"What Higgs?"

"Potter has decided to check the drainage system for the snitch."

Flint went pale and wide eyed.

"She did what!?"

Terrence rolled his eyes.

"You heard me even with this wind."

"Keep searching. If Potter doesn't find it down there, you can find it up here."

Terrence nodded before flying off again to look for the snitch. Word spread to the other players on the Slytherin team of where the young Ravenclaw seeker was. All of the players were keeping one eye upon the entrances to the drainage system. They just hoped that she made it out of there.

Triton saw everything that was going on, and he noticed that Ari had gone down into the drainage system. His affinity over water told him that the system was full of water; however, Ari was doing fine. The only reason for that though was because of the abilities that their dad gave all of his children.

Ari was cold. She was cold and hungry, but shockingly, she was not wet. She was flying completely underwater, but her clothes didn't feel any heavier than they did up in the air. She looked carefully in every nook and cranny trying to find the snitch. Suddenly, she spotted a flash of gold trying to hide in a crack between two bricks in the wall of the drainage system. She flew closer, reached in and pulled out the item. She looked at what was in her hand and nearly laughed out loud. She had found the snitch.

Ari quickly and carefully made her way to the exit of the drainage system. Upon exiting, she looked around and tried to find one of the captains. She didn't find either Serra or Marcus, but she did find Terence. Ari flew up so that she was flying right along side of him and showed him the snitch.

"You found it!"

"Yeah, it was hiding a crack in the drainage system. Stupid thing didn't want to get wet," Ari stated chuckling.

By now, the other players had noticed the seekers hovering in the middle of the field, talking and decided to head over.

"Ari, what are you doing? Find the snitch!" Serra ordered not seeing what was in her seeker's hand.

Ari turned around, and all the players let out a cheer. Even the Slytherins didn't care, the game was over.

All of the players landed and Madame Hooch came running over to them.

"What is going on?"

Ari showed what was in her hand. Madame Hooch sighed in relief and motioned to the teachers that the game was over. Professor Dumbledore cast a soronus.

"THE MATCH IS OVER. EVERYBODY REPORT TO THE GREAT HALL FOR HOT CHOCOLATE AND PEPPER UP POTIONS."

The students didn't need to be told twice and within ten minutes, everybody was inside. Professor Dumbledore stood up before the students and everybody quieted down.

"The game ended with Ari Potter catching the snitch. Ravenclaw won 170 to 30. Now, everybody enjoy your hot chocolate and stay inside."

The students didn't need to be told twice. The Quidditch teams were taken off to the side by Madame Pomfrey and given quick check overs. While she was being looked at, Ari was startled by somebody coming up behind her.

"Well, nobody can say that you aren't my sister anymore."

Ari snapped around and saw Triton standing there smiling at her.

"You're Triton, right?"

Triton nodded and laughed, "Yes, that has been my name since I was born. Come on. Let's go talk."

Triton and Ari made their way out of the Great Hall and into a nearby empty classroom. Triton plopped himself up on one of the desks and smiled at his sister.

"So, how did you enjoy being underwater in the drainage system."

"It was weird. I mean I knew that I could control water; however, I had never tried to breathe under it."

Triton outright laughed at this.

"What did you expect? You are a daughter of the sea god. Of course you are going to be able to breathe underwater."

At this point, he took a closer look at his sister. She didn't look to be harmed too much from her dangerous game in the air. However, that didn't mean that he wanted to see her back up there in this weather again.

"Ari, please, try and stay out of the air as much as possible. Uncle has promised not to harm you when you are playing; however, as we discovered today, with the argument going on between him and dad, nothing is guaranteed."

Ari nodded. She knew how close she had come to being blasted out of the sky during the game.

"I am glad that you took my advice and are wearing your necklace."

Ari looked down at her necklace and then up at her brother.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Triton replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Why did you give me the conch necklace? I thought you would be mad that dad cheated on your mom again," Ari responded while trying to avoid using the names of the gods.

Triton sighed he should have expected this question sooner or later. Probably sooner because of who his sister's mother was.

"Did you choose who your parents are, Ari?"

"No."

"Then, why should I take dad's mistakes out on you? Why in the past five plus millenia should I have taken dad's actions out on any of my siblings mortal or otherwise? I try to judge my half siblings based upon their actions. Thus far, you have proven to be a true daughter of the sea. Yes, at first, I was set upon not caring about you. Can you honestly blame me for that though? I had just found out that dad had cheated on mother again without breaking the oath. However, I quickly got over that and saw you."

Ari was speechless. She didn't know what it was like to have an older brother or any sibling for that matter. But, she was starting to think that it wouldn't be that bad.

"As for the charm, as I said, I care about you. I have tried over the years to help all of my half siblings where I can. Most, however, have been too proud to accept the help. I heard how badly you were hurt and just decided to make you the offer. Based on the fact that you have not taken off the necklace, I am guessing that you are accepting the gift."

Ari nodded, "Yeah, I am not exactly sure when I will need it or even how to use it. But, I am grateful for the gift."

"You will know how to use it when the time comes. Just know that I will be keeping an eye on you even when you do not ask for help. If their actions are anything to go by, I believe that all the members of the Council are going to be keeping at least one eye on you until you reach eighteen."

"Why? Why do you guys care? I have been alone since I was one."

Triton sighed, his sister was still a bit upset about her childhood. And honestly, who could blame her. However, she needed to understand.

"Ari, do you honestly think that any of us would be able to face father or Athena if something were to happen to you? Every time one of his children died, father was beyond consolable. I don't want to see what his reaction to you being harmed would be. Especially considering you were never supposed to be mortal. He would see your death as partially his fault. Do you understand?"

Ari nodded, "Yeah, I think so. How long are you here for?"

"I came long enough to see your game and make sure that you were okay. Truthfully, I wanted to get away from the arguing on Mt. Olympus. Now, how about you walk me out and then head to dinner."

"Sure."

Ari led Triton to the main entrance of the castle. She was going to walk him to the gate however he told her she needed to remain inside.

"With the weather like this because of father and uncle, it is best to not make a target of one's self. Take care, I will see you at your next game."

Triton walked out into the storm and flashed himself away, and Ari headed to dinner. She had enjoyed being able to talk to her brother. And while it was still awkward, she knew that she would eventually get used to it. After all, if she reached her eighteenth birthday, she would have all eternity to get used to having an older brother.

The next few months went by relatively peacefully. The Gryffindors beat Hufflepuff in a five minute match up two weeks after the stormy match. The last two matches wouldn't occur until May and everybody was eagerly anticipating them.

March ended relatively quickly and soon it was only a couple months until the end of the year. The Ravenclaws and Hermione were suddenly very busy making sure to review everything that they had learned thus far and also keep up with their current lessons. None were as busy as Ari though.

Professor Snape had stepped up her training, and she was now becoming proficient with a sword and daggers. She was of course no where near an expert, but her matches with Professor Snape were lasting a good ten minutes, and she was winning a few of them.

Professor Snape had decided to tempt fate and try out archery. It was better to know how bad she was now and give Chiron a fair warning. Apparently, children of Poseidon were notoriously horrendous at archery. He showed her how to nock an arrow and how to shoot, and then he stepped back. He sent a silent prayer to Artemis and Apollo for his safety.

Unknown to Professor Snape, when the twins heard his prayer, they decided to see why he was praying to them for safety. When they brought up the image, they both laughed. A prayer for safety was definitely a necessity when giving a child of Poseidon a bow and arrow. Some of the other gods and goddesses heard the laughing and decided to see what was going on. Together, they watched the lesson unfold.

All were surprised when Ari's arrow not only flew straight, but it actually hit the edge of the target.

"Well, I guess we know whose talent she got as far as archery is concerned," Hermes quipped.

"Yeah, I bet Severus is grateful for that too. The poor guy was so nervous he actually sent both of us a prayer for safety, or to at least get away from this lesson alive."

While the month of March was extremely peaceful, the month of April started off with a bang courtesy of the Weasley twins. Of course, what else was to be expected from twin pranksters whose birthday was on April Fool's Day. Everybody managed to get past the first day of April relatively unscathed; however, it was a sign of what was to come.


	14. Chapter 13

**I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Beta'd by LittleOddStar (Lady of Something)**

 **Chapter 13**

"I can't believe they did that!" Hermione yelled while trying to get the glitter out of her hair.

The twins had decided to celebrate their birthday in the only way that they knew how; with a giant prank. Breakfast had been a relatively calm affair until the twins came in with the grins that all present knew meant trouble.

Ari had been contemplating running for her life when the explosion happened up near the teachers' table. After the purple smoke cleared, all of the students looked up to see what had happened. The teachers had been turned into animals.

Professor McGonagall was a cat, Professor Flitwick was an owl, Professor Sprout was a rabbit, the Headmaster was a very happy peacock and Professor Snape was a bat.

The Great Hall was silent for all of five seconds before the students burst out laughing. The prefects and Head Boy and Girl had quickly got together and decided that, until the teachers were back to normal, there was no way to hold classes. Therefore, all students were free for the day.

While the announcement was being made, Professor McGonagall was glaring at anybody that was still laughing, Professor Snape flew over to where the twins were sitting and started making very angry clicking noises at them. Ari didn't want to know what he was saying; however, she was certain that it involved at least a month's worth of detention in the form of hard manual labor.

As the students were leaving, another explosion occurred. Being almost at the door, Ari and her friends were only hit by the shower of glitter that had fallen. They were not subjected to the color changing prank that left the majority of their classmates changing skin, hair and eye color for the rest of the day.

"Relax, 'Mione. We get out of all of our double classes for today," Ron stated as they made their way through the corridors.

Hermione sent a heated glare over to Ron. "Do you realize how close we are to finals and how much we still have to learn?! We can't afford to have a day off like this!"

Ari decided to intervene before things got too out of hand.

"Hermione, why don't you and I go to the library and grab some books so that we can start reviewing?"

"Sounds brilliant, actually. At least two of us have some common sense and desire to pass."

Ari chuckled. It was surprisingly easy to stop Hermione if you knew what you were doing. The group changed course and began to head for the library. Draco and Neville decided that they wanted in on the study group too.

The group was in the library gathering materials for their study group when they literally ran into somebody most unexpected.

"Sorry, Ari. I didn' see ya there. Ya haven' been ta see me lately," Hagrid both apologized and admonished.

"Sorry, Hagrid, I have just been really busy," Ari replied sheepishly. Her friends had told her repeatedly that she needed to spend more time relaxing.

"Yeah, so I hear. I heard ya pretty much 'ad extracurriculars every night."

"She does," Neville piped up, "That's why we're doing our study session now."

Ron then noticed the books that Hagrid was carrying.

"Hagrid, why are you getting books about dragons?"

The group as a whole looked at Hagrid as Keina, Caillen, and Faye came over.

"Uh, well, just for somethin' to read," Hagrid answered while looking around nervously.

"Uh huh," Ari responded skeptically. "Well, we need to get going Hagrid. See ya."

The group made their way over to the empty classroom that they had pretty much taken over as their own little study corner.

"How often is Hagrid in the library?" Neville asked once they got settled.

Caillen, Keina, Hermione, and Ari looked at each other.

"Never," they answered as one.

"Well, then, should we go and see why he is studying up on dragons?" Draco recommended.

"And when do you recommend we go? Ari has lessons with Professor Snape in a few hours and still needs to finish her homework for tomorrow," Hermione gently reminded the group.

The group turned as one to Ari who seemed to have become the unofficial leader of the group over the course of the school year. Ari still didn't understand why - but whenever she asked about the cause, they just gave her a look like 'can you really not figure it out?'.

"Why not? We haven't been to see Hagrid in ages. Also, I don't think that I am going to be having lessons tonight thanks to the twins."

Draco smirked, "Yeah, I think that is a safe bet. But, I would still show up just to be on the safe side. Who knows? By then the prank could have worn off."

"Well, then let's go down to the dungeons first and then go see Hagrid."

The group nodded to this idea - it seemed reasonable. Once they were outside of Professor Snape's office, Ari knocked; however, there was no response. Ari looked at Draco with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know if he is in there. He did give us Slytherins permission to enter so long as we knocked first. You knocked so go in."

Ari opened the door slowly. She looked back at her friends only to notice that they had all taken a seat along the wall opposite the door. Rolling her eyes, Ari entered the office. Upon first glance, nothing seemed abnormal until she looked up and saw a bat hanging from the ceiling.

"Umm...Professor Snape?" Ari spoke up trying to get her professor's attention.

It worked because the bat came down to land in front of Ari on the desk.

"I came here to see if we were still going to have lessons; however, I guess I have my answer."

The bat gave her a 'no duh' look. Ari was at a loss as to what to do now. She then realized that Professor Snape had no way to get dinner.

"Rigby!" Ari called hoping that the elf would come even though he was under no obligation to do so. As luck would have it though, the elf came.

"Miss Potter be summoning Rigby?" The elf questioned.

"Yeah, Rigby do you think that you could get Professor Snape some fruit. He is currently unable to get downstairs or call on you himself"

The elf looked at the table and noticed his master, the bat. It was with a loud squeak that the elf pushed past Ari to get to his master.

"What bes happening to Master Snape!? Who did this to yous?"

Bat Professor Snape glared at Ari.

"Umm...Rigby it was a prank gone bad. Do you think you can take care of him til he changes back?" Ari asked hesitantly.

The elf's reaction was instantaneous as he snapped around to glare at Ari.

"Rigby bes taking care of Master Snape as Rigby has always done. Miss Potter has done her job; now, Miss Potter needs to bes leaving so that Rigby can do his!"

With that said, Ari was ushered quickly to the door and pushed out. Ari turned to look at the door in confusion before turning back to her friends who sported looks of amusement and obviously wanted an explanation.

"Professor Snape is still a bat, and I called Rigby to take care of him. I guess Rigby took offense to something that I said."

"What did you say?" Draco asked. "I have never seen an elf act like that."

"I just asked him if he would be able to care for Professor Snape until he turned back."

The purebloods flinched.

" _That_ was your mistake, Ari. Never ask an elf if they are capable of their duties. They see that as the highest offense. Just tell them what needs to be done and leave it," Caillen explained.

Ari nodded, "Well, on the bright side, I am free for the night. So, let's go see Hagrid."

The group made their way as quickly as possible to Hagrid's hut. It wasn't often that Ari had no plans for the evening, and they weren't going to risk something coming up because somebody saw that she wasn't in her lessons. As the group neared the hut, Ari immediately noticed that something was off. On any given day, one could look out at Hagrid's hut and see the windows and door thrown wide open. However, it seemed as though Hagrid was going out of his way to keep people from being able to see inside.

Ari led the group up to the hut and knocked loudly. Inside, sounds of crashing pots and something breaking could be heard. When Hagrid finally answered the door, he only opened it enough to look outside.

"Sorry, bu' I'm a bit busy righ' now. Could yeh come back later?"

"Yeah, we would love too, except this is probably the only day that we'll be able to drag Ari down here to see you," Draco drawled out.

Ari blushed. She tried to make time for everybody and everything. It wasn't her fault that Professor Snape wanted lessons everyday that she didn't have Quidditch except Sundays and then she had homework.

"Well, alrigh' get in 'ere," Hagrid answered as he opened the door wide enough for the rather large group to enter.

It was a tight squeeze fitting them all into the hut at once. The inside of the hut was almost unbearably warm.

"Hagrid would it be possible to open a window?" Hermione asked as she headed over to the window.

"Sorry, 'Mione, but it needs teh be kept as hot in 'ere as possible," Hagrid responded as he tried to subtly block their view of the fireplace.

"Hagrid what are you doing? What's with all of the dragon books?" Ari inquired as she pointed out the pile of library books on the table.

"Well, yeh see... the truth is... I-" Hagrid stumbled.

Ron finally managed to see into the fireplace and went wide eyed.

"Hagrid, where did you get that? They're illegal!"

The group turned as one to see what was in the fireplace. The Ravenclaws, except for Ari, and Draco gasped.

"Hagrid, what are you doing with a DRAGON egg?!" Keina all but screamed.

"Well, I'm hatchin' it."

"Hatching it? Hagrid do you know how fast it is going to grow? Not to mention the fact that you live in a _wooden_ house!" Hermione exclaimed.

"He's just going to be a little guy," Hagrid argued.

"Yeah, at first. What type is he?" Ron questioned.

"I got a Norwegian Ridgeback. They's extremely rare, they are," Hagrid stated puffing out his chest as he continued to stoke the fire.

After a few minutes, he prepared some tea for the group and sat down with them.

"Now, what did yeh want?"

The group turned to Ari again.

"We really just wanted to know why you were suddenly interested in dragons; however, it would seem that we got our answer. Hagrid, are you sure that you are going to be able to care for the dragon? That it will be safe?"

"Of course, this isn't the first misunderstood creature that I 'ave cared for. I mean, I raised Fluffy, didn't I? And now, he is guardin' Flamel's stone for him and Dumbledore."

Hagrid didn't seem to realize how much he had just given away. But, the Ravenclaws did.

"I've always wanted a dragon," he sighed happily to himself.

"Hagrid, did you just say _Flamel's_ stone?" Caillen asked as calmly as he could.

Hagrid's eyes went wide as he realized exactly what he had given away.

"Now, don't yeh be worryin' 'bout any eh that. It's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."

This did nothing to calm down the students.

"Oh, hell no!"

"He didn't!"

"It's here!"

"You named a Cerberus _Fluffy_?!"

It took a good five minutes to get the Ravenclaws calmed down enough to talk.

"Hagrid, what is the Philosopher's Stone doing here at Hogwarts?" Caillen asked. He couldn't believe how stupid the adults were to have brought that here!

"How do yeh know 'bout-"

"Doesn't matter, Hagrid. What is it doing here?" Keina interrupted.

"It's here for safe keepin'. Now, I think you should all be goi-"

Just then, there was a cracking sound in the fireplace. Hagrid ran over and quickly pulled the egg out-setting it on the table. The group gathered around to watch as the dragon hatched from its egg. It took quite a while and the entire time, Hagrid was encouraging it.

"Come on! Yeh can do it."

The group was pretty certain that if they had decided to leave, Hagrid would never have noticed. As it was, watching a dragon hatch was pretty much a once in a lifetime experience.

"Even my brother, Charlie, doesn't get this close to the hatching dragons. The moms are too protective."

When the dragon finally came tumbling out of the egg, head over tail, Ari couldn't help but think that it wasn't the cutest thing that she had ever seen. It looked like an old crumpled, black umbrella. It was completely black and its spiny wings were way too large when put in comparison with the rest of its body. It had a long snout and stubs that Ari guessed would one day be horns. Its orange eyes looked around it with caution before they landed on Ari.

The dragon instantly began trying to make its way over to her, and she quickly backed away. Ari looked over at Ron who was chuckling.

"What's so funny, Ron? Something you want to share?" Ari snapped.

The dragon then jumped off the table in an attempt to follow her. Ari barely spared a minute to wonder how the heck the literally five minute old dragon was able to move around this much. Hagrid was watching with a wide smile upon his face as though he had never seen anything cuter.

"Is anybody going to help me? And why is it chasing me?" Ari yelled as she continued to move around trying to get away from the baby dragon.

"It thinks- it thinks you're-" Ron began to try to explain but was laughing too hard. "It thinks you're its mom, Ari!"

Ari went wide eyed.

"Seriously! Hagrid, do something before it winds up getting hurt!"

Hagrid quickly ran forward and grabbed his baby dragon.

"Now, don' be like that, Ari. He's only a baby. I've decided teh name 'im Norbert."

"Yeah, a baby that just chased me around this small, confined hut for the past ten minutes," Ari muttered.

"Umm….does anybody know what time it is?" Neville asked after everybody was seated again.

"Yeah, Nev, it's….oh, Merlin!" Draco yelled, jumping up, "Guys, we need to go, curfew was twelve minutes ago!"

The group quickly bid their goodbyes and left for their dorms. Ari was just praying to her family that she got back to Ravenclaw tower without getting caught. By some miracle, Ari, Caillen, Keina and Faye made it back to the tower with no issues, and they quickly slipped in.

"Let's go back tomorrow and try to talk some sense into Hagrid. That dragon needs to go," Ari stated before saying goodnight to her friends and heading for bed.

The next morning found the group gathered together trying to find a way to get rid of the dragon.

"Why don't we just release it?" Ron asked.

"It's too young. It wouldn't last a day," Ari pointed out.

"Besides, that could be considered inhumane," Hermione added.

"Well, it's not like we can take it to a dragon reserve!" Ron snapped.

Ari's eyes widened, "Charlie!"

Everybody stared at her as if she was nuts.

"Umm...Ari, I'm Ron. Charlie is in Romania working with… DRAGONS! Of course, but do you think he would?"

"Only one way to find out! Come on, if we hurry we can send a letter with Hedwig before classes start!"

Ari and Ron ran out of the Great Hall, leaving many to wonder what on earth was going on. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Something was going on, and he didn't like it.

Ari and Ron made their way up to the Owlery, and Ari quickly called down Hedwig. By now, the snowy owl had learned that her mistress could not talk to her if others were around. So, she simply held out her leg and waited for the red-haired boy to tie the parchment on. Once it was done, she gave an affectionate nip to Ari's ear and took off.

The two students in the meantime managed to get to their first classes on time, or, in Ari's case (since she didn't have class), the library. Classes went by as normal with teachers already starting to warn the students about the upcoming finals. Ari wasn't too worried; contrary to what her friends and the majority of the school believed, Professor Snape made sure that Ari got all of her homework done. An hour on Mondays and Wednesdays and three hours on Saturdays were set aside to do homework or ask for assistance if she needed it. Her friends had yet to figure out how she was doing it. It also helped that she had Sundays free though.

Professor Snape had finished going over the basics of all the weapons that they had present: swords, knives, and bow and arrows during the previous week's lessons. While she was still not a pro, that wouldn't happen without years of practice, she was able to hold her own and defend herself. Professor Snape told her that she would learn even more weapons once she arrived at camp. She could expect to have to learn how to wield a trident.

Serra decided to call off Quidditch practice for one night to allow the team the chance to get ahead on their studying. After all, the final game was against Gryffindor and after finals so they would have to keep practices up longer than the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs.

Ari, for her part, was just amazed to have two nights off in a row and made the best of the situation. The group once more found themselves in the spare classroom just down the hall from the library. Ari and Ron informed the group that they had sent off the letter to Charlie with Hedwig.

"Well, that explains why you were almost late," Hermione sniffed. She disapproved that Ron had come running into the history classroom right as Professor Binns was beginning his lecture on the goblins wars of the third century.

"Any idea when we can expect a response, Ron?" Ari asked. She honestly had no idea how quickly an owl could do a round trip.

"No quicker than a week, Ari," Draco responded, "Hedwig is going to have to rest a few times, even with being a magical owl."

Things were back to normal - or as normal as they could be - the next day, Friday, as Ari was once more in her evening lesson with Professor Snape. That night's lessons involved more practice with the various weapons and then more history lessons. They had of course already gone over the major myths, but now, Professor Snape was having Ari learn about each of the main demigods and how she can learn from their mistakes.

Lessons ended as per usual at half past nine; the only exception was of course lessons on Thursdays that needed to be cut short due to Astronomy lessons at nine. Ari made her way back up to Ravenclaw Tower and went straight to bed. Her friends were not false in their beliefs that she was extremely busy to the point of exhaustion many days.

Ari's busy schedule continued into the next week. The group, without Ari, had continued to go down to Hagrid's hut to assist with Norbert. Hagrid was not very keen on the idea of getting rid of his "baby;" however, the group was adamant in their arguments that keeping Norbert would only lead to trouble for Hagrid should he be caught. After all, it was against the rules for dragons to be kept by non-dragon tamers and even then it was only legal to keep them at the reservations. Hagrid eventually gave in when Ron mentioned that they had already sent off the letter to Charlie.

At breakfast on April 15th, Ron finally received a message from his brother. Ari smiled at Hedwig, gave her some extra bacon and sent her to get some rest. Ron quickly opened the note and read it; he then passed it to the rest of the group.

 **Dear Ron,**

 **How are you? You really do need to write more often; mother is worried because she hasn't heard from you. Thanks for the letter, but how the bloody hell did Hagrid obtain a- you know what never mind; it's Hagrid after all. Anyways, anybody involved in this is considered to be breaking the law. Unfortunately, you and about seven others are now caught up in it. To help get rid of the dragon, I will be arriving on the 19th to personally take the dragon to the Romanian reserve. DON'T do anything drastic. I will be arriving for dinner, and then we can get it done** _ **before**_ **curfew.**

 **Remain safe,**

 **Charlie**

The group was instantly all smiles and agreed as they walked that instead of going straight to their group study that would would go and inform Hagrid of the great news first. The good news was that the only thing going on today was studying and Quidditch practice that night.

Hagrid of course was not at all thrilled with the news that he was only going to have his baby for one more day.

"He's only a baby. He needs his mummy," Hagrid all but wailed.

Ari seriously wanted to roll her eyes.

"Hagrid, we aren't having you release him unprotected into the wild. He is going to a dragon reserve where he can be with other dragons and not risk burning down your hut!" Hermione argued for what felt like the hundredth time. She continued to try and get the baby dragon to eat.

"I've always wanted a dragon, an' now he's leavin' meh."

The group was just about to leave when Hermione let out a high pitched screech. Norbert had taken offense to Hermione not giving him her full attention and had decided to bite her.

"Watcha doin' teh Norbert?" Hagrid asked after looking over. "Yeh need teh pay attention teh 'im when yeh are feedin' 'im."

"Hagrid, _he_ bit _her_. Shouldn't you be more concerned about her? After all, many dragon bites are poisonous," Caillen argued.

"But, he is only a baby. He don' know any better."

It was shortly after that argument that the group decided to leave. Hermione needed to go to the Hospital Wing before the bite got much worse. Upon entering the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey came rushing over.

"And what have you done to land yourself here this time, Miss Potter."

Ari's friends started laughing at the assumption, but Ari just blushed. She wasn't here that often.

"I have done nothing, Madame Pomfrey, but Hermione hurt her hand somehow."

Madame Pomfrey gave Ari a look of pure suspicion before she turned her attention to Hermione.

"Well, get up on the bed and let's see what you have done to yourself."

An hour, and shockingly not too many questions, later, the group, minus Hermione, was leaving the Hospital Wing. Apparently, Madame Pomfrey had a policy about not asking too many questions.

As it turned out, Hermione was going to be stuck in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend to make sure that the poison was out of her hand. Hermione was of course rather put out by this because it meant that she was going to miss meeting Charlie and seeing off the pain of a dragon.

Sunday night could not come quickly enough for Ari Potter. Saturday morning saw Ari in Professor Snape's office and chambers once more to practice. Unfortunately, it became quickly apparent that her mind was elsewhere. After nearly being stabbed for the fifth time in half an hour Professor Snape called it quits for weapons training. They finished history lessons relatively quickly after that, and she was dismissed in time for dinner. Sunday afternoon's extra Quidditch practice saw her nearly being hit in the head by a bludger. Practice was called due to 'lack of focus.'

Ari walked into the Great Hall for dinner and instantly noticed that there was a new face at the Gryffindor Table. The rest of the group was sitting there even though they were supposed to be sitting at Slytherin table this week. As she sat down at the table, she was introduced to the new stranger.

"Hey, Ari, this is my older brother, Charlie. Charlie, this is Ari Potter."

"Oh, pleasure to meet you, Charlie," Ari greeted as she shook the older Weasley's hand.

Dinner was a lively affair with the Headmaster announcing the arrival of Mr. Weasley for dinner. Many of the seventh and sixth years came over to say hi to him because he had only just graduated the previous year. Oliver, Serra and surprisingly Marcus Flint came over to ask him if he was going to come to the final game of the year. Charlie was surprised to learn that a first year had been allowed on a house team.

"Well, she has the talent, so the teachers made an exception. Of course, after her first game all of the players came to understand the reasoning behind it. However, after that same game all of the players have become rather protective of their 'little sister'," Serra explained to Charlie.

Charlie just shook his head, "I might have to sit in on the last game of the year then."

Charlie's expression then turned serious as he lowered his voice and looked sternly at the group of students involved in an illegal dragon.

"I don't know how you came to be involved in this, and I don't want to know. The point is that you are involved. Ron-" he turned towards his younger brother. "I won't tell mom about this just because I know for a fact that I will never hear the end of it. As for the rest of you, four of you may come down with me, but the rest need to return to their dormitories. Too many people will only aggravate the situation."

"Well, out of all of us, this was Ari's idea so she should definitely go," Neville pointed out.

"Ok, but what about the other three people?" Keina asked.

"How about one from each house? That way, it is fair, and if we get caught, no house will take too big of a hit in the points," Caillen reasoned.

"Sounds good."

"It might work."

"It's fair."

"That pretty much picks the last three people right there. Draco is our only Slytherin, Neville is our only Hufflepuff and since Hermione is in the Hospital Wing until tomorrow, Ron is the only Gryffindor. Ari is of course the Ravenclaw."

"Since you have decided, let's go. I hope to get this done before your curfew."

"Wait!" Neville near-on shouted, realizing something. "Ari, don't you have lessons tonight with Professor Snape?"

The group as one turned towards the ever busy Ravenclaw.

Ari rolled her eyes, "Lessons are on Saturdays guys. Sundays are free days except when Serra decides we need an extra practice."

The group looked sheepish at this reminder. They knew Ari's schedule but sometimes it was easy to get the days mixed up.

"Extra lessons?" Charlie asked looking at his brother.

"Yeah, Ari is an elemental, and Professor Snape is helping her learn control."

Charlie's eyes went wide at that revelation. Elementals were extremely rare. Ari blushed at the look that Charlie was sending her. It really wasn't anything special. Draco seemed to realize that the extra attention was making Ari uncomfortable.

"Are we going or not? Just standing here is gaining us unwanted attention."

Sure enough, Pansy and her followers were glaring at the group, and Professor Snape was looking at the group through narrowed eyes as though expecting them to do something against the rules.

The group made a quick exit and hurried over to Hagrid's hut. They really just wanted this over and done with so that they could go back to being normal students; well, as normal as magic wielding teenage students could be.

They reached Hagrid's hut, and Charlie gave the door a firm knock.

"Hagrid, can we come in?"

The door was opened by a sobbing Hagrid, and the group of five entered the hut. Charlie immediately made his way over to the baby dragon that was cuddled up on Hagrid's giant bed. Ari was just happy that Norbert was asleep. She really didn't want to play tag in the hut today.

"Well, you have done a great job of taking care of him, Hagrid."

"Thank yeh. But do yeh have teh take 'im?" Hagrid cried.

Charlie shook his head, "Yes, Hagrid, I have to take him. You are already in enough trouble."

Charlie reached into his pocket as he finished his statement and pulled out what looked to be a very small crate. Ari watched with fascination as Charlie pulled out his wand and with a simple tap, the crate was regular sized again.

"Neville, hold the crate. Ari, Draco, assist me in getting Norbert into the crate."

The boys started laughing as Ari glared at Norbert.

"Umm...did I miss something?" Charlie asked as he watched the scene before him.

Draco managed to get control of himself first and explained the situation to Charlie.

"Norbert has taken a ….liking to Ari ever since he hatched. Every time Norbert sees Ari, he tries to cling to her and not let go."

Charlie began to chuckle, "He sees her as his mother. I am guessing that Ari was the first person that he saw?"

Ari nodded, still grumbling to herself about idiotic baby dragons that needed to learn the difference between human and beast. She sighed and walked towards the bed. Norbert, who seemed to sense her presence, was instantly awake. Deciding to make the situation easier on them all, Ari allowed Norbert to jump on her and then carried the baby dragon over to the crate. As she placed the baby dragon into the crate, Ari noticed that Charlie had lined it with a comfortable blanket.

As soon as the dragon was in, Charlie walked over and sealed the crate.

"Well, that was easier than I expected."

The boys began to chuckle; however, one look from Ari stopped them. Draco and Ron still remembered what happened the last time that they had severely pissed off Ari. Of course, Neville had heard the story and knew better than to piss her off. Plus, all knew what had happened to Pansy.

As they made their way outside, Charlie realized how late it was getting.

"Let's hurry up and get to the gate before you guys are caught past curfew. Once I am past the gate, I can portkey me and Norbert to the reserve."

His face seemed to scrunch up at the idea of an international portkey trip. Even with Neville and Ron helping Charlie carry the crate, the going was slow because Norbert did not enjoy being caged up. Hagrid had decided to stay in his hut; he couldn't bare to say goodbye to his baby.

They eventually made it to the gate; however, the sun was already set, and they all knew that if it was not already past curfew it was pretty close to it.

"Now, try not to get caught up in anymore illegal activity. I won't be able to bail you out everytime. And Ron remember, write mom."

The group agreed to try. Ron grudgingly agreed to write his mom. Ari knew that she was going to have to force Ron to do that. However, she also knew that at least five other people would assist her in that endeavor.

Charlie stepped beyond the gate and therefore beyond the wards of Hogwarts and activated the portkey that would rid them of Norbert. Within seconds, they were gone and the group was making their way back up to the castle. Ari felt that they should have known everything was going far too smoothly when they met up with a furious Professor Snape and a smug Pansy Parkinson on the step of Hogwarts.

"Follow."

That one word told them that they were in a lot of trouble. Professor Snape led them down to his office, and for once Ari was not pleased to be heading there. They entered the office and all five students stood in a line.

"Sit," Professor Snape ordered as he summoned five chairs for the students.

The group sat as they were bid. They knew that they were in trouble.

"Now, what are five students doing out past curfew on a Sunday? Miss Potter, I am guessing that whatever you were doing is the reason for your distraction during yesterday's lessons."

Ari nodded. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed at this.

"Explain."

The group just stared at their feet; there was really nothing that they could say without getting themselves or Hagrid into some serious trouble. Not to mention that they had dragged Charlie into it.

Professor Snape sighed internally, he was going to have to talk to Ari about keeping secrets during their next meeting.

"Well, seeing as how all five of you are up past curfew all five of you will lose fifteen points; each and receive a detention."

Pansy's eyes went wide, "But Professor, I am only up because I was telling you that they were up past curfew!"

"Be that as it may, Miss Parkinson. You are still up past curfew, and therefore you will receive the same punishment as your classmates. Now, to bed."

The five students solemnly made their way towards their common rooms. They stopped in front of the Slytherin common room, said good night and departed from Draco and Neville. Ari and Ron made their way up the main staircase and departed at the seventh floor.

The next morning, Ari was met in the common room by Trenton and Gwen.

"Ari, a word please," Gwen called.

"Yes, of course."

"Professor Flitwick informed us this morning that you were caught past curfew with some of your friends from the other houses. He has added onto Professor Snape's punishment. Until further notice, you are to eat at the Ravenclaw table. The three caught with you cannot join you."

Ari was surprised. She had thought that the punishment from Professor Snape was the end of it. Apparently, it wasn't. It was a visibly upset Ari that made her way towards the Great Hall for breakfast. As she entered, she noticed, Hermione beckoning her over from the Gryffindor table. Unfortunately, all that Ari could do was shake her head and make her way over to the Ravenclaw table. Emily and Alex seemed to realize that Ari was upset and joined her.

"Don't worry Ari. It won't last long," Alex tried to comfort her.

Ari sighed, "I know."

Breakfast was a slow affair in which Ari came to realize just how used to she had come to be with the constant conversation of her friends at breakfast. The arguing between Hermione and Ron or Ron and Draco. She really missed her friends.

Despite having Potions with Hermione and Ron, Ari kept mostly to herself and just did her work. She felt that she had somehow let everybody down; it was her fault that they had got caught last night. She should have realized that they were past curfew. She didn't even want to think about what her parents would think of her.

Professor Snape noticed Ari withdrawing and sighed to himself. He was going to have to talk to her tomorrow. More than likely she was remembering the words of her 'relatives.' For now, all he could do was keep an eye on her.

Professor McGonagall also noticed that Ari was quieter than normal during class; however, she believed that the child was just feeling properly chastised.

Lunch and dinner both saw Ari once more eating separately from her friends. They had of course been told by Caillen and Keina, who had been told by Alex, what was going on. Whenever they tried to talk to Ari, she just made an excuse to leave.

That evening during lessons, Professor Snape tried to talk to Ari about what had occurred; however, all that Ari would say was they were helping a friend, and it had been an accident that they were past curfew.

"The punishments were justified," Ari stated while working on her Transfiguration essay. "We were past curfew."

That is all that she would say on the matter. Professor Snape decided to give it some time before he confronted her again.

The rest of the week would see Ari staying away from everybody unless it was absolutely necessary. She didn't talk more than necessary, and she didn't attend the group studies. Ari continued to stay away from her friends until all five of the punished students received notification at breakfast a week after the departure of Norbert.

 **Your detention is to be served tomorrow night at 11. Meet Filch in the Main Entrance at 10:30. Professor Snape has been notified of the cancellation of your lessons.**

 **Professor McGonagall**

Ari looked over to her friends and noticed that they had received the same notification. She let out a sigh; she knew that tomorrow night she would have no way to escape from her friends that she had been avoiding.

Classes on Monday dragged on for Ari as she grew more nervous about the detention that was to be served that night. She was still on, for lack of a better term, 'grounding' by Professor Flitwick. However, she considered herself lucky that she did not have to miss Quidditch. Practices and her extra lessons were her only way of letting off some of her frustration. Professor Snape seemed to have realized this and was focusing more on weapons practice and less on history lessons.

Ari arrived on time in the Main Entrance and found that the others were already there.

"Let's go," Filch ordered as he led them outside.

Filch continued to mutter about hanging by thumbs in the dungeons as he led them across the grounds of Hogwarts. Pansy herself was grumbling the entire time about how this was beneath her, and she didn't even do anything wrong. The group grew more nervous as Filch led them closer to the Forbidden Forest. As they neared the forest, they were greeted by Hagrid.

"Sorry, you lot - I'll be leaving you here. This is Hagrid. I will be back at sunrise to pick up what's left of them," Filch stated as he left with a very unfriendly smirk on his face.

"Well, come on," Hagrid directed as he led them on into the forest.

"Umm... Hagrid, why are we going into the forest? It's forbidden," Ari questioned quietly.

"Over here."

The group followed Hagrid's beckoning and soon came upon a very disturbing site; a puddle of silver blood.

"What is that?" Neville asked nervously.

"That, Neville, is unicorn blood. Found one dead a couple of weeks ago and now there is another one. Our job is teh find the poor creature and either help it or put it outta its misery."

"We're students. We aren't supposed to do _servant's_ work," Pansy sneered.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yeh will do as yeh are told or yeh can be gettin' back teh the castle and begin packin' yer bags."

It was no surprise to anybody when Pansy made no move to head back towards the castle. Ari just wanted to get the detention over and done with. Though she felt that she deserved the detention, she did wish to get some sleep tonight.

"Now, let's go. We are goin' teh split up inteh two groups teh try and find the poor beast. Ari, Ron yeh will come with me. Draco, Neville, yeh two will go with Pansy. Send up red sparks should yeh get inteh trouble. Stay on the path."

With that said, the group split up and went into the forest. The deeper they went, the creeper the forest seemed. Every shadow seemed to move as though to snatch them. Time seemed to creep and they moved slowly through the forest looking for any sign of the poor injured unicorn. It must have been about an hour or so later that red sparks were seen being shot into the air.

"Stay 'ere and don't move!" Hagrid ordered as he rushed in the direction of the sparks.

"I hope that they're ok," Ron muttered.

Ari nodded in agreement, "I don't really care what happens to Pansy, but I am worried about Neville and Draco."

Ron looked at Ari with an expression that could only be described as worry. However, Ari looked away from him and avoided eye contact. As time crept by, Ari thought that she heard the sound of somebody passing behind them in the trees. However, when she looked, nobody was there.

A few moments later, the sounds of footstep could be heard coming down the path. Ari and Ron both drew their wands as the footsteps came closer. Ari subtly made sure that her knife was within reach; just in case a fight came.

Luckily, a fight was not necessary; the footsteps belonged to Hagrid, Pansy, Neville, and Draco. By the sounds of it, Hagrid was unhappy.

"Of all of the-" Hagrid could be heard muttering as the other group drew near.

"What happened?" Ron inquired looking at Draco.

"Parkinson thought it would be a bright idea to sneak up and scare Neville witless. Of course, Neville, sent up red sparks."

"I did nothing to the cry baby. He is complaining over nothing," Pansy sneered.

"Yeah, right Parkinson," Draco snapped.

"Alright, enough, yeh lot. We're goin' teh divide inteh different groups. Neville, yer with me an' Ron. Ari, yer with Draco and Pansy."

Ari nodded and headed off with the two Slytherins. She began to wonder as they continued deeper into the forest how they had not alerted every creature in the forest to their presence with the way that Pansy and Draco were arguing.

"Honestly, Draco, how can you turn your back on your upbringing?! You are turning into a blood traitor," Pansy all but screeched.

"I don't agree with my parents, Parkinson. That's all there is to it," Draco responded.

"No, it all started when you befriended Potter. Before you met her, you were a perfect, model pureblood," Pansy retorted.

"If you two don't shut up, we are going to be out here all night. Honestly, I am surprised that we haven't had every beast in the forest after us yet with the way that you two are going on," Ari snapped.

"Oh, look, she talks," Pansy sneered.

Ari just rolled her eyes and continued on. Draco followed after her, leaving Pansy to decide what she wanted to do. Keeping an ear out for any sound such as the one she heard earlier, the group continued on further into the forest. Eventually, Ari began to see a trail of blood leading even deeper into the forest.

"Well, at least we know that we are on the right path," Draco quipped.

The next half hour was spent fighting a path that was becoming thicker and thicker. However, while the path seemed to be harder to follow, Ari thought that the blood trail seemed to be becoming thicker. The blood was splattered not only on the ground but also on the trees and surrounding bushes.

"Poor thing must be in so much pain," Ari muttered.

Of course, Draco heard her.

"Don't worry, we'll help it."

Ari spotted a clearing up ahead and motioned the group forward. However, before Draco could step out of the tree, Ari stopped him. Pansy dragged behind not wanting to walk closely to the two friends.

"Look-"

In the clearing was a grotesque sight that would definitely be in Ari's nightmares for months to come. A figure in a dark cloak was hunched over a dead unicorn. It looked as though it was drinking its blood. Ari turned to Draco as she rubbed her forehead; her scar was picking a bad time to start hurting.

"Vampire?"

Draco shook his head.

"Vampires drink human blood, not animal. Plus, even if a vampire were to drink animal blood, he would know not to touch a unicorn."

Pansy finally came upon the clearing, and Ari had to stop her from walking into it. Pansy took one look into the clearing and screamed.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!"

"Pansy, be quiet," Ari hissed as the creature turned towards them.

"I WILL NOT, POTTER! I WANT OUT OF THIS FOREST!" Pansy continued to screech.

"Pansy, be silent. It will hear us," Draco snapped. However it was too late.

The creature had heard Pansy's screeching and screaming and was heading in their direction. Pansy finally seemed to realize the situation at hand and decided to act in a Slytherin fashion; self-preservation. Ari and Draco watched as Pansy took off down the path. However, their attention was soon drawn back to the creature that was heading towards them. Ari's scar was beginning to hurt more and more the closer that the figure got.

When the creature was only a few yards from them, the pain became unbelievable. It felt as though her scar was on fire. Ari fell to her knees half-blinded by the pain. She didn't even hear Draco calling her name.

"Run, Draco," Ari managed to get out through gritted teeth. She really just wanted the pain to stop.

Of course, Draco refused to leave his friend behind. The creature was only a few feet away when the sound of hooves drew near behind them. Draco just hoped that it was an ally and not a friend of the creature.

Draco watched as the new creature drew near only to fall backwards next to Ari when the centaur leaped over him and Ari. Draco got up and continued to stand beside Ari as the centaur scared the creature away.

"Thank you," came the cracked voice of Ari.

Draco quickly turned towards his friend.

"Ari, are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine," she muttered as she got up.

"Ari Potter," came the voice of the centaur.

Ari and Draco turned towards their rescuer. Ari was not ashamed to say that the centaur was indeed attractive. He had blond hair and bright blue eyes. His horse part was that of palomino.

"Are you alright?"

Ari just rolled her eyes, "Yes, thank you."

"Come you and your friends must leave the forest at once. It is not safe here for you. Follow."

With that said, Ari and Draco followed the centaur through the woods. As they drew closer to where they left their friends Ari decided to speak up.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

"I'm sorry; my name is Firenze."

"What was that creature that you saved us from?" Draco questioned.

Firenze stopped walking and turned towards the two students.

"Mars is bright tonight. I can only hope that the stars have been read wrong this time as they have before."

Ari and Draco looked at each other in confusion.

"Do you want to explain that in English?" Ari inquired.

"My apologies. Tell me, do you know the uses of unicorn blood?"

"No, we only use the horn and hair in potions," Draco answered.

Firenze nodded. "That is because it is a terrible thing to kill a unicorn. Its blood is a blessing when given willingly; however, it is a terrible curse when taken forcefully. The blood has the ability to keep you alive even if you are an inch from death, but the moment that it touches your lips, you will live nothing but a cursed life."

"Who would want such a life?" Ari questioned. "Is it not better to die than to live the life of a cursed?"

"Indeed, but can you think of nobody that would want such a thing?" Firenze returned looking intently at Ari's forehead.

"You-Know-Who," Draco muttered, "Many of the pureblood families wish him to return and believe that he will return."

"Do you know what is being kept in the school right now?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," Ari answered. She then went wide eyed. "The elixir of life! The blood is just a temporary fix until he gets it."

Ari didn't need to see the slight nod of Firenze's head to know that she was right. The group of three continued down the path until they came across Hagrid, Ron and Neville.

"Ari! Draco! Thank goodness," Neville yelled as he spotted them.

"Are yeh two alright?" Hagrid asked as the group drew nearer.

"They are as safe as they can be in this forest, Hagrid. Now, get them back to the castle where they belong," Firenze responded to his friend.

"Thank you, Firenze."

The group said goodbye to the friendly centaur and made their way back to Hogwarts. Pansy had, of course, already left when she went screaming through the forest about monsters. The group departed from each other at the main staircase and headed to bed for the night.


	15. Chapter 14

**I don't own either Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.**

 **Chapter 14**

The next morning Ari walked down to breakfast alone once more. While she'd enjoyed seeing Ron, Neville, and Draco last night, it didn't change a thing in her opinion. It was after all still her fault that they got caught. She ate her breakfast in relative silence not really speaking unless spoken directly to.

Unknown to Ari, however, her friends were not going to let her remain silent for much longer. They were already planning on getting her to join them for a study session for a few hours.

As Ari was getting ready to head off to the library, when Professor Flitwick made his way over to Ari.

"Miss Potter, a word please."

"Yes sir."

Ari followed Professor Flitwick to an empty classroom and waited for him to talk. Professor Flitwick watched his student with more than a little concern. It had not escaped the notice of many of the teachers that Miss Potter was acting completely abnormally. While all of the heads of houses had given an extra punishment on top of the points loss and detention, Ari was the only one that it seemed to greatly affect.

"Miss Potter, do you understand the reasoning behind your confinement to the Ravenclaw table?"

"Yes sir," Ari answered very quietly.

"Explain why then."

"Because I behaved like a reckless Gryffindor instead of using my intellect like a Ravenclaw. Also, we were caught past curfew."

Professor Flitwick nodded, "You may consider the punishment over after today, Miss Potter."

Ari smiled a small smile, "Thank you Professor."

"Off you go Miss Potter."

Ari and Professor Flitwick departed. Ari decided to make her way to the library, because her first class wasn't until nine. Classes passed like normal with the teachers starting to review the material from the beginning of the year to prepare the students for finals. Keina, Caillen, and Faye once more tried to join Ari for lunch and dinner, they had been trying since she had been 'grounded;' however, she told them not to worry.

"Honestly guys, I'm fine. Professor Flitwick told me this morning that I can go back to sitting with you tomorrow," Ari responded getting slightly irritated at the constant inquiring.

"Really, because we have really missed having you at meals and at study sessions. Honestly, Ron and Draco haven't stopped arguing since that day. Hermione hardly talks to anybody and always has her nose in a book. Apparently, Hufflepuff is upset with Neville due to the sneaking out and the prefects are now double checking to make sure that he is in his room at nights. The Gryffindors have been congratulating Ron on sneaking out. Slytherin is just upset that Draco got caught," Faye began to ramble.

Ari smiled, "Faye, breathe. Not all of us can keep up with you when you speak like that. Anyways, I can join you at meals again starting tomorrow."

"And study sessions?" Keina inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Ari rolled her eyes, "Yes, I will rejoin study sessions."

Dinner ended a few minutes later, and Ari followed Keina and Caillen to the room that the group used to study. Stepping through the door, Ari was greeted by the sounds of Draco and Ron arguing, again.

"And I'm telling you it's not!"

"Well what would you know? You'd barely be scraping by in your classes if it wasn't for us!"

"Hi, guys."

Everybody except the two arguing turned and smiled at Ari. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Why you-"

"What can't come up with an original insult, Weasel?"

"My insults are better than your's, Ferret!"

The group rolled their eyes. This was actually considered _normal_ for these two.

"Anybody want to tell me what the argument is about this time?"

"We don't even know," Neville answered.

Ari sent a silent prayer to whoever the god or goddess of patience was and made her way over to the two idiots that were about to come to blows. Stepping in between the boys, Ari shoved them away from each other and sent them each a glare that could have sent a hellhound running.

"If you two are done fighting over trivial matters, I have a limited amount of time before Quidditch practice. Do _not_ make me regret coming here when I could have the silence of my room to study in," Ari snapped at the two boys.

"Sorry Ari."

"Now, what are we behind in or have that is due tomorrow?"

The rest of the study session went well and at ten to 7:30 Ari made her way down to the Quidditch pitch. The change in her demeanor was immediately noticed by her teammates, and they were happy to see her returning to normal. The final match was only a little over a month away, and they were actually in contention to win the Cup.

Practice went well enough that Serra had no issue letting them go a little early. Ari joked with Alex and Gwen as they made their way upstairs.

At breakfast the next morning, Ari didn't even hesitate to join her friends at the Hufflepuff table.

"Your punishment finally over, Ari?"

"Ron, we told you that yesterday!" Hermione exclaimed in exasperation.

Ari was wondering how they had the energy to argue this early in the morning.

"Any plans for the day, besides you Ari. We all know _your_ schedule."

"Better question, does anybody know the finals schedule for next month?" Neville asked interjecting before a conversation of activities could start up.

"Finals are in groups of two with one group of three, 1st and 7th years are the first week, 2nd and 6th years are the second week, and 3rd, 4th, and 5th years are in the third week. Week four is used to give teachers time to grade all except the 5th and 7th year results and give students time to make sure that they have everything packed," Draco explained.

"They do this so that the teachers aren't trying to test all 7 years at once and so the officials aren't trying to test the 5th and 7th years at the same time," Caillen added.

"That also means that our finals are next week, Neville," Hermione reminded.

Many people that were listening in on the conversation paled at how close they were to finals. Though, it should have been obvious. The 5th and 7th years had been snapping at anybody that was being loud in the evenings in the commons rooms.

At that point, breakfast ended and the group made their way to class.

Professor Snape watched as the first year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws made their way into the classroom and took their seats. It was his firm belief that he was lucky to not have the Gryffindors partnered up with the Slytherins. That would have been a disaster. He got a headache just thinking about it.

He watched closely as a specific group of students made their way in and was privately pleased to see that Ari was once more talking to her friends.

'Perhaps tonight I can finally get an answer as to her reaction.'

With that thought in mind, he began the lessons for the day. Luckily, he was to the point in the year when it was all down to review.

The same could be said for all of their classes. Professor Flitwick passed out a variety of fruits and told the class to practice making them do different things, including levitating and, in Seamus' case, blowing it up. The first year Gryffindors had come out trying to pick pieces of pineapple, oranges, bananas, and apples out of their hair and uniforms.

Defense was causing Ari a headache, literally. While they were reviewing on safety spells and first year creatures, she had a constant headache and was constantly questioned by Draco if she was ok or not.

That night saw Ari in Professor Snape's office to practice.

"Watch your footing. If your stance isn't solid, you can easily be knocked off balance," Professor Snape instructed as he did just that.

Ari landed on her backside with an umpth as the air was knocked out of her lungs. Instead of getting up immediately, she decided to just lay there for a few minutes.

"Ugh, I know, Severus, I know. However, it is easier said than done."

Severus nodded, "And that is why you are training. Camp definitely won't be any easier than I am. I can tell you for a fact that you are going to be challenged and tested at every turn, and if you don't train, you will fail."

Ari nodded, "Alright, let's go again."

Training continued in that tangent for another half hour before Severus decided to call for a break.

"Do you want to talk about your behavior for the past few weeks?"

Ari sighed, she wasn't getting out of this.

"It was my fault that we were caught so I thought that they would be mad at me."

"Why do you think that?" He had a feeling that he knew the answer but he wanted confirmation.

"Because it is always my fault when something goes wrong, and everybody is always mad when things don't go right."

"Is that what the Dursleys taught you? That it is always your fault."

Ari just nodded; her eyes remained on the ground.

"Ari, look at me."

Ari looked at her teacher. He was quickly becoming her biggest confident.

"Your relatives were wrong. Not everything that goes wrong is your fault. If it is caused by your actions then yes you are responsible at least partially. In this case, your friend should have also kept track of the time. You were a group of four; therefore, all four of you are responsible."

He waited a minute for that much information to sink in.

"Did you know that all of them also received an extra punishment on top of the one that I handed out?"

Ari shook her head. Then again before today she hadn't been talking to her friends except for the couple hours in the woods.

"Draco was forced to clean the entire common room with no magic or assistance. Mr. Longbottom, I believe has to tell his prefects where he is going at all times; however, I believe that punishment will end at the end of the week. Miss Granger was forced to write a letter to her parents explaining exactly what happened and then write an essay explaining why what happened was wrong."

Ari was shocked. She had no idea that her friends had received extra punishments. Immediately, she began to feel guilty that she had been ignoring her friends.

"I didn't know any of that," Ari whispered.

"Well, then what are you going to do about it?"

"Apologize and then study for my finals."

"Good plan. Break's over."

"Can I ask you a quick question first?"

Severus turned to his student with a raised eyebrow.

"Where is Draco going for the summer?"

Severus let out a sigh, he should have known that this would come up eventually.

"He is going to be staying here at Hogwarts. Once you return from camp you will be joining him, as you know."

Ari nodded, she knew her plans. An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Can he come to camp with me?"

Severus thought about it for a few minutes; the idea had merit. The question was if the gods would accept it.

"We will have to ask the gods."

Ari nodded. She had expected that.

"Now, let's go again."

Lessons continued until it was time for Ari to return to her dormitory.

The rest of the week and the following week were extremely stressful for all involved. The first years got their first taste of finals at Hogwarts and the seventh years took their NEWTS tests. The last test for the first years was History of Magic, and even the Ravenclaws were cheering when it was over.

"Honestly, who knew that one man….err...ghost could come up with so many different questions on goblins and their wars!?" Ron yelled.

"Five points from Gryffindor Mr. Weasley for yelling," the voice of Professor Snape came from behind them.

The group turned to look at their professor.

"Now, I believe that you all should be outside on a day like today while the second and sixth years are testing."

The group nodded and began to head outside.

"One minute Miss Potter, a word please."

Ari turned back around and approached her teacher.

"Please remember that we do not have lessons even though your tests are done. Unfortunately, I have to grade for the next three weeks; therefore, there is no time. That being said, enjoy the free time."

"Thank you sir," Ari responded with a bright smile before running to catch up to her friends.

"What did Professor Snape want?" Draco questioned once Ari caught up to them.

"Just to remind me that my extra lessons are cancelled until next year."

There wasn't really much for the students that were done with their tests to do; however, they were expected to remain outside or in their common rooms during testing hours. Ari and her friends tended to hang around outside bringing a couple games with them. They were all excited that there were only a few more days left of school and the final Quidditch match was to be that weekend.

The group decided to walk around the lake, and as they passed by Hagrid's hut, they noticed that he was playing a wooden flute that was shaped like a dragon.

"Did Hagrid ever mention who gave him Norbert?"

Upon everybody shook their heads, Ari turned and started heading over towards Hagrid.

"Hey, aren' yeh suppose teh be takin' yer tests?"

"We finished today. Hagrid who gave you Norbert's egg?" Ari questioned.

"Well, I dun know. He kept his hood up."

"So he just gave a complete stranger a rare dragon egg?" Caillen asked incredulously.

"Nah, he asked meh if I had any experience takin' care of rare creatures. I told him, I take care of Fluffy, and a dragon wouldn' be a problem."

"Was he interested in Fluffy?" Keina asked catching on to what Ari had.

"Of course he was interested. How often do yeh come across a three headed dog? Of course I told im that the trick is teh know how teh calm the beast. Take Fluffy, play im a little music an' he falls right asleep."

The entire group went wide eyed. One look at each other, and they were off running right back into the castle.

"Who do we go to? We aren't even supposed to know about the stone," Hermione asked as they ran.

"Professor Snape," Ari and Draco answered together.

"No, he is the one that is after the stone!" Ron yelled coming to a halt.

Everybody else stopped and looked at him.

Draco looked ready to explode, and while Ari wouldn't mind knocking some sense into Ron, that wouldn't help them right now.

"Draco stop. Ron, keeping your opinions about certain professors to yourself, who do you recommend we go to?"

"The Headmaster," Caillen put in when it appeared that Ron could not think of anybody.

"Is everybody in agreement?" Ari inquired looking at everybody.

When she received a nod from everybody, she began to lead them through the corridors to the Headmaster's office.

"Ari how do you know where to go?" Hermione asked.

"Professor Snape took me to the Headmaster's office to discuss my lessons one time. Draco should remember it was over Christmas break."

Draco nodded in confirmation when the others looked at him. While he had been a bit out of it at the time and in pain, he and every other student had been curious as to why Ari was called to follow the teachers up to the Headmaster's office.

The group was passing the library when they, quite literally, ran into Professor Quirrell.

"Oh, sorry Professor," Neville apologized as he bent down to pick up the books that Professor Quirrell had just dropped.

"Th-that's q-q-quite alright M-mr. Longbottom," Professor Quirrell stammered. He then turned to look at his students. "N-n-ow, wh-what are you all d-d-doing inside? Y-yo-you s-sh-should be outside or in your c-common rooms until the t-tests are d-done for to-today."

"Uh…"

"We were-"

"We wanted to-"

None of the group had any idea how to answer their professor without getting into serious trouble.

"We were on our way to see the Headmaster," Ari responded deciding that the truth was better than nothing.

"Ahh. W-w-well, s-sorry to s-say that h-he isn't in r-ri-right now. Y-you be-best run al-along."

The group nodded to their professor and began to walk back towards the courtyard. Ari; however, slowed down and turned around to watch her professor.

"He's heading towards the third floor corridor," she mumbled.

The group made their way outside and decided to sit under a tree near the lake.

"Well, now what are we going to do?" Neville asked.

"We shouldn't _do_ anything. We all agreed from the beginning that the teachers had this covered. While they shouldn't have brought that object here to begin with, it is quite obvious that they have it protected, and even if Fluffy has been compromised, that doesn't mean that the other safety measures have been," Caillen argued.

"Plus, it really isn't our business, what are a group of first years going to do against a fully trained wizard?" Keina added.

"We should at least tell a teacher of our suspicions," Draco argued.

"That'll just tip them off. No! We need to stop them before they can get it!" Ron yelled.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that, Weasel?" Draco retorted. "Last time we were past curfew, we were caught. Or have you forgotten that?"

"Who says anything about sneaking around past curfew?" Ron questioned. "We could go right now!"

"Reckless Gryffindors! That is even worse. Especially with all the teachers watching to make sure that we stay outside during the tests!" Draco all but screamed.

Ari noticed that they were starting to gain some unwanted attention.

"You two need to calm down."

The boys looked at Ari. She sent them a look that they knew meant trouble if they didn't listen to her right now. Both boys sat down and the rest of the group made quick work of separating them by sitting between them.

"Alright, now we need to do something because it would be irresponsible of us if we left it. However, let's try to think rationally. What do we know?"

"The Headmaster isn't here."

"Hagrid spilt to a stranger about Fluffy."

"The Philosopher's stone is in Hogwarts and being protected by the professors."

"Somebody is after the stone."

"Yeah, Snape."

"That isn't known for certain. Don't assume. Facts only."

"They are going to try tonight," Faye put in.

The group turned to look at Faye.

"How did you come up with that, Faye?" Ari asked.

"Think about it. The Headmaster is known as the most powerful wizard alive, even You-Know-Who was afraid of him. Therefore, when will Hogwarts be at its weakest?"

"When the Headmaster isn't present."

"Which is right now."

"So the person is going to take advantage of the opportunity!"

"Oh man."

"So what do we do?" Ari inquired.

"Is there anybody we can talk to?" Hermione questioned. "A teacher, prefect, Head boy or girl?"

Ari shook her head, "All of the professors have made it clear that they are busy testing and grading. That is why they want us outside or in our dormitories."

Draco nodded to this, "Professor Snape made it clear that he is not to be disturbed except for an emergency."

"Which this is!" Keina argued.

"But we have no actual proof except for inferences and hear-say. They won't accept what we have to say. The only one that might have was the Headmaster."

"So then it is up to us," Neville pointed out. "If we can't go to a teacher than we have to do this ourselves. After all, what will happen if somebody does get their hands on the stone?"

"They could easily be granted immortality and try to take over the world," Caillen somberly responded.

"Worse, if there is a way that he survived, they could bring back Voldemort," Ari pointed out.

"You killed him, Ari," Hermione argued.

Ari shook her head, "Nobody knows _what_ happened that night, Hermione, No corpses except for my parents were found. Most is purely speculation."

"So how do we do this? It isn't like we can just walk right up to the forbidden third floor corridor and grab the stone," Draco questioned.

"Well, the only time when we are going to be able to get out is past curfew. Who is able to get out?"

"The prefects don't check my room anymore, but that doesn't mean I can get out easily," Neville piped up first.

"Professor Snape checks on us randomly. I have no chance," Draco commented.

"Gryffindor has no issues with seeking out," Ron answered.

The group members from the other houses snorted. Yeah, Gryffindors had _no_ issues with that. It was well known exactly how easy is was to sneak out past curfew for the Gryffindors.

"We should be fine, too. Except for the fact that it will be way too obvious if Faye, Keina, and I are all missing from the dormitory at the same time."

"Alright let's do this, Ron and I can sneak out no problem. Keina, Caillen, and Faye can cover for Ari," Hermione began.

"Why only Ari?" Draco asked.

"Better to have as few of us as possible and spread it out amongst the houses so no house gets hit too hard if we get caught again."

"Neville can take my cloak and sneak out with it. I'll bring it to dinner tonight. Draco, sorry about this but can you run interference for Professor Snape?"

Draco paled, "You realize what he will do if he realizes that I am covering for you right?"

Ari nodded, "The good news is you don't have to cover for me missing a lesson. And, Quidditch practices are cancelled until after the finals."

"You owe me."

"I know."

"Where can we meet up?" Neville asked.

"Meet up on the third floor. That way nobody has to go further than necessary. It is your destination and pretty much half way too," Keina responded promptly.

Ari took a deep breath, "We are really doing this?"

The group looked at one another and nodded.

"Alright, let's be reckless Gryffindors. And not a word Draco," Ari stated as Draco started to open his mouth. "You are being just as reckless as the rest of us."

"Come on we only have a few minutes before dinner," Faye pointed out.

Quickly, the group made their way back inside to do what they needed to do before dinner. Once done, they met up and sat at the end of the Gryffindor table. They figured that if anybody caught them talking about the plans, the Gryffindors would be the least likely to turn them in.

Of course, everybody noticed the change in seating arrangements. By now, everybody had picked up on the seating pattern of the group and except for those few weeks where they were not allowed at the Ravenclaw table, it was never broken.

Professor Snape was especially keeping a close eye on the group. He noticed that Ari handed Neville something; however, he could not quite make out what it was. Reading the group's lips he could only tell that they were talking about summer break and plans for the summer.

After dinner, the group parted ways and made their way to their individual dormitories. Draco was about to go through the portrait leading to the Slytherin common room when Professor Snape caught up with him.

"Mr. Malfoy, follow me please."

"Yes, sir," Draco answered as he began to follow his head of house. All the while he was thinking about how Ari so owed him for this.

Draco followed his head of house into his private quarters.

"Take a seat Draco. Tea?"

"Yes please. Thank you sir."

"Now," Professor Snape began as he took a seat across from one of his favorite students. "Have you given much thought as to where you wish to stay this summer?"

"I thought I was staying with you," Draco exclaimed. He hadn't given any thought.

"You are staying here at Hogwarts yes. However, surely you wish to visit with friends, or should time and schedule permit visit somewhere."

"No, sir. I haven't given much thought to it."

"Well, you have until the end of the month to decide."

Draco nodded. He knew that he was going to be dismissed soon and needed to stall.

"Can I challenge you to a game of chess, sir?"

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow but nodded in the affirmative. This just confirmed his suspicions that the group was up to something.

In Hufflepuff, Neville was reading a book in the corner of the common room waiting for everybody to go to bed. Luckily, it wasn't that long of a wait. Most Hufflepuffs were early to bed early to rise. It just went along with being hard workers.

"Don't stay up too late Neville. Just because you are done with finals does not mean you should mess up your sleeping schedule," one of the prefects called over to him on her way up the stairs.

"Don't worry Karissa. I just want to finish this chapter."

Karissa nodded and continued on her way. It was half past 10 when he was finally alone. He dawned Ari's cloak and headed out.

Ron and Hermione were having a bit more difficult of a time waiting for everybody to go to bed. It was approaching half past ten when Ron's twin brothers made their way over.

"You two-"

"Are going to-"

"Sneak out."

"Aren't you?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then at the twins and nodded.

"Don't worry."

"We'll cover for you."

Before the two first years could ask what the twins meant, a series of dung bombs went off in the common room. In the chaos that ensued, Hermione pulled Ron towards the portrait and out of the common room. Nobody except the twins noticed them leave. About five minutes later, Professor McGonagall and the prefects were still trying to settle the Gryffindors down.

Ari had the hardest time escaping because Ravenclaws were renowned for their study habits. Luckily, the house had rules set in place to make sure that everybody got to sleep. Ari continued to study until everybody was sent to bed. At about five to 10:30, Ari finally heard the last of the people on the stairs make their way into their private rooms. Silently, she made her way up the stairs to the common room and out the door. She was running late and just hoped that she would not run into trouble on the way.

For once, luck actually seemed to be on Ari's side, and she made it to the classroom that they had agreed upon at dinner only a few minutes after her friends.

"Did everybody get out ok?" She quickly asked.

Everybody nodded.

"The twins are covering for Hermione and me," Ron explained. "They set off some dung bombs in the common room."

Ari nodded at the explanation and motioned everybody forward. Silently, they made their way towards the entrance to the forbidden corridor and to the door that led to Fluffy.

"Ready?"

"Ari, quick question," Hermione interrupted before Ari could recite the spell. "How are we going to put Fluffy to sleep?"

"Everybody know Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?"

All of her friends nodded.

"I am going to whistle it. Since everybody knows it, if I have to stop, then somebody can immediately take over."

Everybody nodded their understanding to the plan.

Ari stepped forward, took her wand out and pointed it at the door.

"Alohomora."

The lock clicked open and Ari slowly pushed the door open not wanting to be caught off guard by Fluffy. The group made its way inside and looked around. Fluffy was asleep on top of the trap door.

"We need to move the paw," Hermione pointed out.

Neville was staring wide eyed at the three headed dog. He was the only one there that had not had a previous run in with the beast.

As one, the group began to push the gigantic paw out of the way. Ari kept one eye on the massive three headed dog at all times.

They finally were able to move the paw out of the way, open the trap door and look inside.

"It's a long ways down," Hermione pointed out unnecessarily.

"Who wants to go first?" Neville asked.

Ari was about to answer when growlings from above met her ears. Looking up, Ari came face to faces with the very much awake three faces of Fluffy. Without stopping to think Ari began to whistle. Shortly after, Hermione joined in. It didn't take long for Fluffy to fall back asleep. Ari motioned for Hermione to continue whistling as she trailed off.

"Let's be quick. I'll go first. Wait here until I call you guys with the ok. Hermione, keep whistling. Whoever goes last needs to make sure to keep whistling up until they jump."

The others nodded their understanding. Ari took one more look down into the dark hole.

"Meet you down there."

And she jumped.

The fall wasn't nearly as long as the hole from above made it look. Ari took a quick look around and deemed it safe for the others to jump.

"Come on down!"

Not even a minute later, Neville and Ron landed on either side of her followed shortly by Hermione. Up above, they could all hear the snarling, barking, and growling of the three headed dog that had hoped to eat them.

"Well let's go," Ari stated as she tried to stand. However, she found that she was unable to move. "What the-"

"Ari don't move!" Neville and Hermione both yelled as they managed to separate themselves from the tentacles that were wrapping themselves tightly around Ari and Ron.

Ron struggled, "How do you expect us not to move when these things are trying to kill us!?"

"It's devil's snare, Ron. We learned about it in Herbology. Oh, what did Professor Sprout say," Hermione began to panic at the sight of her friends being strangled.

One tentacle wrapped itself tightly around Ari's chest and began to move towards her neck.

"Hurry!" She managed to weeze.

"Devil's snare likes the cold and damp," Neville piped up.

"F-fire! Light..a...fire!" Ari struggled to yell out. She was going to pass out soon.

"There's no wood!"

"Are you a witch or not, Hermione?!" Neville shouted before quickly aiming his wand at the plant. "Incendio!"

A burst of fire suddenly came from Neville's wand, and the tentacles retreated from Ari and Ron. All four made their way to the safety of the door before stopping.

"Thanks Neville."

"No problem, Ari."

Ari shook her head, "It's a good thing you two pay attention in Herbology."

"No, it's a good thing that Ari keeps her head in a situation," Ron interjected before turning on Hermione. "Honestly, you are the brightest witch in our year. You set Snape on fire. Yet, you loose your head when we need it!"

"Ron, lay off," Ari snapped. "Come on."

The group slowly made their way forward. They were now quite aware of how much danger they were placing themselves in. These traps were meant to stop fully trained wizards let alone four first year students who had just finished their finals.

Opening the door that they came upon at the end of the corridor, they were met by a strange sight.

"Keys with wings?" Neville asked.

"I bet one of them will open that door," Ari pointed out.

"How are going to find the right one? They all look the same," Hermione questioned while looking around trying to spot the right key.

Ari watched they keys. They seemed to be moving in slow motion to her so it was only a matter of a few minutes before she spotted the right one.

"There! It has a damaged wing as though it has been caught before."

Ari looked around trying to find a way to grab the key. In the corner of the room, Ari spotted two old brooms. They reminded her of the brooms that the first years use in flying lessons.

"Ron, over here."

Ron and Ari ran over and grabbed a broom each before walking back over to their friends.

"Ok, Hermione, Neville I want you two to wait by the door. Be ready to catch the key when I throw it to you. Ron, you and I are going to corner it. Hopefully between the two of us we can get it relatively quickly."

Once everybody was in position, Ari and Ron kicked off from the ground. Almost simultaneously, the keys began to attack. Ari was after the key immediately while Ron tried to figure out which one it was.

"Ron behind you!"

Ron turned; however, the key, and Ari went into a nosedive. Right before she hit the ground, Ari snatched the key and threw it to Hermione. Ron headed toward the other two while Ari kept the keys busy. Once they had the door open, Hermione turned back to Ari.

"Come on Ari! It's open!"

Ari turned her broom and flew straight through the door. As soon as she was through, Neville and Hermione shut it so that the keys couldn't follow them. Ari quickly jumped off the broom and left it next to the door, just in case.

Taking a look around the room, Ari almost let out a groan.

"It's a chess board," Ron piped up.

"Ok, let's think what have we faced so far?" Hermione inquired.

"Hagrid's Fluffy."

"Professor Sprout's devil's snare."

"Professor Flitwick's charmed keys."

"Who does that leave that they would ask to protect the stone?" Ari asked

"Well, they have two of the heads of houses so probably the other two."

"The Headmaster would not go without leaving something."

"They would also probably involve the Defense teacher since this is supposed to be his area of expertise."

Ari barely refrained from rolling her eyes at that last comment.

"Ok, so we still have to get through McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore and possibly Quirrell."

"This one is probably Professor McGonagall's."

"Ok, anybody good at chess?" Ari asked.

"Ron is," Hermione piped up.

Ari took a close look at Ron and noticed that he was looking intently at the board.

"Do you think that you can get us across, Ron?"

All he did was nod and take a step closer to the board.

"I think we have to participate."

The knight that he was standing next to turned towards him and nodded. Ron turned back to his friends and began to give instructions.

"Ok, Ari take the queen, Hermione, queen's side castle, Neville, take the king's side bishop. I am going to be a knight."

As soon as they were all in place, the game began. Ron and Ari were being used to take the most pieces; however, Ron repeatedly barely managed to get them out of danger before they were taken. The game was unfortunately a giant version of Wizard chess. Ari just hoped that they all made it through alive.

It was nearing the end of the game when Ari finally saw the next move that Ron was going to have to make.

"Ron, please tell me you have a plan."

He turned to look at her with a sad smile, "You know that it is the only way. You have to be the one to move on."

"Ron, what are you talking about?" Hermione asked hesitantly not liking the sound of the conversation.

"He's going to sacrifice himself," Ari whispered. Everybody heard her.

"No!"

"You can't!"

"Do you want to stop Snape from getting the stone? Ari has to move forward. We all know this. The only way to do that is to finish the game. As soon as I am taken, Ari can check the king."

Before any of them could respond, Ron called his move. Time seemed to slow down as Ari watched him move into position and then the queen move to strike him. It moved in slow motion as Ron was blasted backwards and landed in a heap surrounded by the rubble of his ruined knight.

Hermione and Neville both almost ran forward.

"Stop!" Ari ordered. They both froze. "Don't forget, the game is still going on."

Ari moved forward towards the king. She stared up at the seven foot tall piece.

"Check mate."

Like that, the game was over. Ari ran over to Ron and was shortly joined by Hermione and Neville.

"Neville, stay with Ron, see if you can't move him back towards the exit and get out. Take the broom in the key room."

Neville moved to protest about flying.

"Neville, stop. We have all seen your improvement in flying lessons. Plus, it is the only guarantee you have of getting past Fluffy."

Neville nodded and began to move Ron towards the exit. Ari and Hermione, meanwhile, moved towards the other exit that went further into the deadly obstacle course.

The next chamber that they came across contained an already defeated troll. It looked to Ari like it had been taken out with its own club. She didn't care as long as she didn't have to fight it. The one on Halloween had been difficult enough.

As soon as Ari and Hermione stepped into the next chamber, flames leapt up in front and behind them.

"Now what?"

"What's that on the table?"

The two girls moved forward to find a row of potions sitting on a table. All of the vials were different shapes and sizes. In front of the vials was a piece of parchment.

"Read it, Hermione."

 **"** _ **Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**_

 _ **Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,**_

 _ **One among us seven will let you move ahead,**_

 _ **Another will transport the drinker back instead,**_

 _ **Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**_

 _ **Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.**_

 _ **Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,**_

 _ **To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**_

 _ **First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**_

 _ **You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**_

 _ **Second, different are those who stand at either end,**_

 _ **But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;**_

 _ **Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**_

 _ **Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**_

 _ **Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**_

 _ **Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.**_ **"**

"It's a logic puzzle!" Ari exclaimed in amazement.

"Of course, most wizards don't use logic. Therefore, they would be stuck here. Why do you think that the founders didn't mind Ravenclaw using a riddle asking door? They knew that only those of Ravenclaws, with a few exceptions, would be able to get into the tower."

"So what's the answer then?"

"Let me reread it."

A few minutes later, and about five more readings both girls had their guesses.

"Ok, this one will take you forward," Hermione said pointing to the third from the left.

"That one," Ari began pointing to the one on the far right, "will take you back."

"Ari," Hermione began to tear up as she hugged her friend. "No matter what please be careful. You are a great witch but even the best can be beaten."

Ari nodded, "Make sure that Ron gets to the Hospital Wing then summon Professor Snape. I don't care what Ron says, we need the help."

Hermione nodded. Together both girls grabbed their respective potions and took a drink. One last look at each other, and they were walking through the fires. One on her way back to safety and the other on her way to face a still unknown danger.

Ari felt a shiver run down her spine as she stepped through the flames. Once she was through however she looked around and noticed a dais upon which was a very familiar mirror and a very familiar professor.

'So much for not being alone with him.'

 **oOo**

As the quartet was making its way through the obstacles, Draco was spending an evening with his godfather. Professor Snape had decided that he didn't mind Draco staying so long as he didn't distract him from grading.

Both sat before the fire in companionable silence. Draco was reading a book from his godfather's vast collection, and Professor Snape was grading the first year Ravenclaw's final exams. They continued on like this until almost midnight when Draco fell asleep on the couch. Professor Snape was finishing taking Draco to his guest room when there was a knock at the door.

Knowing that everybody was supposed to be asleep, he quickly grabbed his wand, placed a protection spell on the entrance to his godson's room and made his way toward the door.

Upon opening the door, he came face to face with a terrified Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

"Granger, Longbottom, what are you doing out of bed this late at night?"

"Please sir, you have to help. We figured out that somebody was after the Stone!" Hermione began to explain half panicked.

Professor Snape's eyes widened as he ushered his two students inside.

"Mr. Longbottom, explain."

Very quickly Neville began to tell the tale from near enough the beginning including events from throughout the year. By the end, Professor Snape was terrified for his student.

"You two wait here! Rigby!"

Rigby quickly popped in to do his master's bidding.

"Please see to these two students. Give them some tea and a calming draught. They are not to leave until I return. I just hope I am not too late."

The last part was muttered under his breath. Very quickly, Professor Snape began to make his way out of the dungeons and up to the forbidden corridor hoping to save the student that he had secretly become fond of over the year.

As he was passing through the Entrance Hall, he came upon the Headmaster.

"Ah, Severus, my boy, would you car-"

"Headmaster, not now, Ari's gone after Quirrell who has gone after the stone."

All at once the happy expression was gone from the Headmaster's face, and the twinkle was gone from his eyes.

"How long?"

"They made their way down there shortly after 10:30. Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger arrived at my quarters roughly half an hour ago. They are still there with Mr. Malfoy. They first stopped by the Hospital Wing to drop off Mr. Weasley. I currently have Rigby watching over them," Professor Snape quickly explained.

Within a few minutes, they were on their way through the obstacles.

 **oOo**

There standing on the dais was none other than Professor Quirrell.

"I was right! It was you!"

The professor's eyes never left the mirror standing before him, but he answered none the less.

"Of course it was me. The only thing that stopped you from outing me from the beginning was your friend who seemed to believe that it was Severus."

Ari rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well Ron is Ron. Nothing that anybody can do about that."

Professor Quirrell let out a snort before he began to mutter to himself.

"Leave it to Dumbledore to come up with something like this! How am I supposed to get the stupid thing?"

Ari took a closer look at the mirror and hoped to the gods that he did not figure out how to work it.

"I can see the stone, and I can see myself handing it over to my master. But how do I get it?!"

Ari was almost physically having to stop herself from laughing at her professor. He was behaving like a little kid that wasn't getting what he wanted. Ari was contemplating what she should do in this situation when a voice that was creepy enough to send shivers down her back rasped out from somewhere.

"Use the girl!"

Suddenly, Professor Quirrell turned away from the mirror and turned on her.

"Come here Potter! Now!" Professor Quirrell shouted.

Ari had no choice but to move forward. She had a feeling that even if she tried to run, she wouldn't get very far. Slowly she made her way forward. Once she was close enough, Professor Quirrell grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her in front of the mirror.

"What do you see, Potter?"

Ari looked at the mirror and once more saw her family. However, this time there was something different. Triton was telling her something and then placed an object into her hands. Ari watched as she placed that object into her pocket. Suddenly, she felt a weight enter her pocket.

She had the stone.

"Well, what do you see!?"

Ari took a deep breath and hoped that she could pull off lying.

"I am standing with my family. We are enjoying a family dinner together and are happy."

Ari was very close to crying by now. That was truly her wish. She just wanted her family. As soon as she finished speaking, she was roughly pushed aside.

"Get out of the way."

Ari began to back away slowly. She just needed to reach the door and then she could run. She had the stone so there was no way for Professor Quirrell to get it from the mirror.

"She lies!" The raspy voice sounded again.

Ari paled as Professor Quirrell turned on her again. She knew that she was not going to get out of this easily. Walking forward slowly she was filled with dread. She had her knife on her, but she really didn't want to have to use it.

"Tell the truth, Potter. What did you see?" Professor Quirrell ordered getting within an inch or Ari

"I told you the truth. I saw my family."

"Let me talk to her."

Professor Quirrell stepped back as though he had been burned.

"But master, you are not strong enough. Surely you can leave me to handle the girl."

"Now, Quirrell. It is unwise to question your master."

If possible, Professor Quirrell went even paler. Ari had to wonder just who this master was. She had an idea, but she was hoping that she was wrong.

"Yes, Master," Quirrell answered.

Ari was confused as he turned around and began to remove his smelly turban. The turban smelled of rotting flesh, but as Quirrell removed it, the smell became ten times worse. As the last of the turban fell to the ground, Ari wanted to hurl. There sticking out of the back of Quirrell's' head was a face.

"Ahhh, Ari Potter, we meet again. The last time I saw you, you were but a baby."

"Voldemort," Ari whispered, but the voice heard her.

Voldemort chuckled, "Yes, I see you are intelligent. Therefore, you should see that it is unwise to challenge one who is stronger than you yourself. Just give me the stone, and you can go on your way. You need not die a foolish death."

"You lie," Ari stated firmly. She wasn't going to let Voldemort trick her. She knew that if she gave him the stone, she would die just the same as if she didn't.

The chuckling started again and Ari was starting to feel more than just a little bit uneasy.

"You are very brave… or...very foolish. Your parents were brave too. You take after them. They wouldn't want you to throw away their sacrifices. Give me the stone!"

"Never!" Ari shouted. She knew that she was going to get it if her parents ever found out about this, but she was not going to back down from this...thing.

"Seize her!"

Suddenly, Ari was being tackled to the ground by Quirrell. He was reaching for her pocket trying to get the stone from her. She was unable to reach for her knife or activate her sword so she did the next natural thing. She grabbed his face and tried to push him away.

Within a minute of grabbing the man, his weight was gone from her. As she tried to regain her breath, she looked over and saw that his face was covered in burns.

"Master, what is this?!"

"You idiot, get the stone!"

Ari didn't give him a chance to pin her down again, this time she met him head on with her hands once again going to his face. Unfortunately, due to the change in position, his hands were easily able to find her neck.

The screaming was unbearable. Ari knew that Quirrell was screaming because of the burns; however, his was not the only one that she heard. It took her a matter of seconds to realize that she was screaming too.

As her vision started to go black, Ari was just hoping that somebody came soon. She heard sounds that were not screaming from nearby.

"Ari!"

"Ari!"

The voices sounded close, she just hoped that they found her.

"Ari! Stupify!"

Suddenly, the weight was being pulled from her, and Ari welcomed the oblivion that darkness offered her.

 **oOo**

They made their way quickly through the obstacles. As they were going through Quirrell's they heard the screams.

"Ari!"

"Come on Severus, we must hurry."

They made their way through the final obstacle and came upon a sight that would haunt both men for many years to come. There was Ari pushing on the face of Quirrell and Quirrell strangling Ari.

"Ari! Stupify!" Professor Snape yelled out as they ran into the final chamber.

Professor Snape's spell hit its target and both Quirrell and Ari dropped. Both men ran over and pushed Quirrell off of Ari. Professor Snape immediately began to look for a pulse on Ari.

"She has a pulse, Dumbledore."

The Headmaster nodded as he finished restraining Quirrell, "Alright let's-"

The Headmaster was cut off as an inhuman scream came from Quirrell. Both men were helpless as they watched a shade rip itself from Quirrell, and Quirrell turned to ashes thus dying.

"Foolish man. He was never more than a puppet," Professor Snape muttered as he picked up his student. He was so not looking forward to telling the Olympians about this.

"Let's go, Severus."

They made their way to the Hospital Wing quickly. They ran into the Hospital Wing shouting for Madame Pomfrey.

"What is it? Do you have any id- What happened to her!?"

"She went after the stone," the Headmaster answered. "Severus go fetch Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger. They need to be looked over too."

With a simple nod, Professor Snape made his way over to the fireplace and back to his chambers. A few minutes later and both students were back.

"Take a bed, and I will be with you in a moment," Madame Pomfrey instructed.

"Where is Professor Snape?" The Headmaster inquired with a twinkle in his eyes.

"He said he had to make a call quickly, sir," Hermione answered.

 **oOo**

In the dungeons, as soon as his two students were safely through the floo, Severus Snape cast the spell that would create a rainbow and made a call to the Olympian Council. He just hoped that they were awake at this time of night. Luck was on his side as when the call went through, the Council was before him.

"What do you need, descendant of Hades?" Zeus questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? I need my beauty sleep. Unfortunately, somebody," here Aphrodite sent a look to Hecate, "decided that we needed to be here for some unknown reason. She won't tell us why, just that we would find out soon enough."

"The reason is here now, Aphrodite," Hecate responded calmly. "Now, speak Severus."

"Ari is currently unconscious in the Hospital Wing after being attacked by a professor."

"WHAT!" The scream came from Poseidon.

"I thought you were supposed to be watching over her," Athena accused as she pinned Severus with a harsh glare.

"She and three of her classmates caught wind of a person seeking to steal the Philosopher's Stone that is being kept here at the school. They correctly assumed that the man was after it to give it to the man that tried to kill Ari as a child. They snuck out of their rooms after curfew and made their way to the forbidden corridor where they somehow managed to pick their way through the obstacles that were meant to stop fully grown wizards. At some point, one of the students was hurt, and the other two escorted him back out of the corridor and came to me. Ari was left to go confront the man on her own. As soon as I heard what occurred, I made my way, grabbing the Headmaster along the way, to rescue her. We arrived just in time to pull the man from her," Professor Snape explained as quickly as possible.

The gods sat in silence as the events of the night sunk in. As soon as they did, they all began to speak at once.

"What was she thinking?"

"How did you not know about any of this?"

"What was that man doing in the school to being with."

"Is Ari going to be ok?"

"Are the others going to be ok?"

The questions continued on for a few minutes before Zeus decided to call for order.

"What is Ari's current status?"

"She is currently unconscious. I know for a fact that there are bruises around her neck from where the man strangled her, and she has a broken wrist, more than likely from landing on it wrong at some point. Other than that, I do not know."

"You will keep us updated," Athena ordered.

"Yes, my lady," Severus answered with a bow.

"Then you are dismissed. Watch over Ari and let us know should anything change," Zeus stated with finality before cancelling the call to go back to arguing with his brother.

Professor Snape made his way to the Hospital Wing. He sincerely hoped that Ari would be alright. He hadn't had a scare like this in many years. As he entered the Hospital Wing, it was to find all four students fast asleep. Madame Pomfrey made her way over to him.

"They are all fine. Mr. Weasley has a mild concussion. Miss Potter is simply exhausted. The bruises, cuts, burns and her wrist will all heal in time."

Professor Snape gave a nod before walking over to take a seat beside his student. She was going to be getting a talk from him as soon as she was awake.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Ari woke to find herself in a room that was far too white and far too bright. She let out a soft groan as the bright light hit her sensitive eyes.

"Hang on one moment, Miss Potter."

Very shortly thereafter, the light was gone, and Ari was able to open her eyes. She turned her head to find out who had spoken only to find Professor Snape.

"Professor?" Ari croaked.

She frowned. How long had she been asleep.

"Drink this and take it easy," Professor Snape directed as he handed her a glass of water.

Ari drank it down gratefully. Once the water was gone, she tried to talk again.

"What happened?" Ari questioned.

Professor Snape raised his eyebrow, "I was hoping you could tell me that. Mister Malfoy decided to spend the evening with me, and then Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger turn up at my door after midnight half terrified telling tales of you going after the stone," He had started off calmly, but his voice was quickly rising as he allowed himself to express the emotions that he had been feeling over the past few days. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? You and your friends could have all been killed! Why didn't you just come and tell me what was going on? Myself and the other professors could have taken care of it!"

By now, Professor Snape was pacing as he ranted, and Ari felt like she was three inches tall. She had made a mistake and acted rashly; like a Gryffindor. Professor Snape continued to pace for another five minutes before retaking his seat.

"Why? Do you have any idea how worried your parents are? Your brother?...Me?"

The last part was muttered, but Ari heard it.

"Who found me, Professor?"

"I ran to you as soon as I heard the tale of what you had been up to. On my way, I ran into the Headmaster, and he joined me. Anyways, we arrived in time to pull Quirrell off of you; however, you are now suffering from magical exhaustion and need rest."

Ari took a good look around the Hospital Wing and noticed that she was the only person there. She then caught a glimpse of her bedside table and went wide eyed.

Professor Snape caught where she was looking and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, it seems as though it is a common belief that sweets will make a person feel better. Therefore, the student body bought out the whole of Honeydukes. Madame Pomfrey actually had to send some up to your room because there was just no more room for anymore."

Ari blushed. She didn't think that she had _that_ many friends at Hogwarts. Her eyes widened at that thought.

"What about Hermione? Ron? Neville? Are they ok? How much trouble are they in? Draco? They really didn-"

"If you will give me a chance to answer Miss Potter. Your three accomplices are fine with only minor injuries. The worst of which was Mister Weasley's concussion. All of them, including Mister Malfoy have received a lecture on responsibilities. However, the Headmaster seems to believe that any injuries you have already received are punishment enough. Now, rest."

With that, Professor Snape left, and Ari was left with little option but to fall back asleep.

 **oOo**

Professor Snape left and made his way to his chambers. He needed to inform the council now that Ari had awoken. He just hoped the Poseidon hadn't left Olympus because of his current argument with Zeus. He walked into his chambers and warded the door; he didn't want anybody coming in.

As soon as that was done, he created a rainbow, said a prayer and threw in the drachma.

"Olympian Council. Mount Olympus," he spoke clearly.

He couldn't resist rolling his eyes. The Council had basically been in session non-stop since Halloween. And, while they were finally getting stuff done, at least before the huge argument started back in December, it was now starting to look like they would never get out.

Severus waited until the image cleared and showed him that indeed the Council was still in session, and Lord Poseidon was still there arguing with Zeus. He made eye contact with Lady Hera and instantly dropped into a bow.

"What news do you bring us, descendant of Hades?" The queen of the gods spoke up ending the fighting for now.

Severus slowly rose to his feet and looked at all of the gods. He noticed that both Athena and Poseidon were watching him with rapt attention.

"Ari has awoken and seems no worse for wear. She is going to be exhausted for a few days but should be recovered enough to arrive at camp the day that students go home."

At these words, a bit of the tension seemed to leave both Poseidon and Athena; even Zeus seemed relieved.

"I do have a question from Ari for the Council."

Many of the gods straightened in their seats. What could the child want?

"Ask the question, legacy of Hades," Zeus ordered.

"She requests permission for a fellow student to accompany her to camp. He has, as of winter break, been disowned from his family and doesn't really have anywhere else to go."

"I see no problem."

"Where would he stay?"

"Hermes cabin of course."

"MY CABIN IS FULL!"

"Well, then where would you recommend?"

"The Big House?"

"That might work."

The discussion continued for a few more minutes before the Council turned back to Severus.

"The boy may attend. He will be housed in the Big House because he isn't exactly a demigod. We shall warn Chiron on his arrival."

With that dismissal, Severus ended the call.

 **oOo**

Later that evening, Severus stopped by the Hospital Wing to give Ari the news about Draco.

"So, he can come?" Ari asked trying not to get over excited at the idea of having her friend with her all summer.

Severus just nodded, "Yes, he will be attending and staying in the Big House since he isn't a demigod."

Ari nodded starting to fall back asleep. Professor Snape noticed this and moved to help her lie back down.

"Go to sleep, and try to stay out of trouble."

He didn't know if Ari heard what he said; she was already back asleep.

 **oOo**

The next time that she woke up, it was to see the Headmaster reading in the chair that Professor Snape had been sitting in.

"Headmaster?"

"Ah, welcome back Miss Potter."

"Thank you, ummm...how long have I been out exactly? I didn't get to ask Professor Snape."

The Headmaster chuckled, "It has been five days since your adventure."

Ari blanched. She had been out for at least four days?!

"Professor, what exactly happened? One moment, I was looking in the mirror, and the next, the stone was in my pocket. I didn't even want it."

"And that my girl is the beauty of it. Only somebody who wanted to find the stone but not use it would be able to pull the stone from the mirror."

"Then, where is the stone now?"

"Ahh, my friend Nicholas and I had a pleasant chat and decided that it was best if the stone was destroyed. It is for the best so that something like this does not happen again."

"But then...he'll die...won't he?" Ari questioned.

The Headmaster gave her a small smile, "Yes child, he will die. He will finally join your uncle."

Ari nodded and looked down at her lap. This was all her fault. The Flamels shouldn't be forced to destroy their stone. She felt a hand be placed on hers and looked up.

"Remember child. There is no reason to fear death. It is but the next great adventure. Though, if your parents have their way, you won't be experiencing it for a while; if ever."

Ari blushed at the reminder that if she lived to her 18th birthday, she would be immortal.

"Professor, how was it that Professor Quirrell was unable to touch me? How did I burn him? My affinity is water."

"Ahhh, now that goes back to Lily Potter."

"How?"

It wasn't often that somebody would tell her about her adopted parents.

"She gave her life to save yours. Even though you were not hers by blood, she still saw you as hers. That kind of sacrifice leaves a mark on a person. A mark of pure love. It is a mark so pure that Professor Quirrell, who had allowed Voldemort to possess him, could not hope to touch you. Do you understand?"

Ari nodded solemnly. She might not have known them, but she knew that the Potters loved her.

"Now, I believe your friends want to come in. However, you will need to remain relaxed otherwise Madame Pomfrey will have them thrown out."

Ari nodded, and the Headmaster left to let Ari's friends in. However, Ari soon realized that it wasn't just her friends, but her teammates, the twins, and several of the prefects as well.

"Ari!" Hermione yelled as she ran over to her friend. She managed to stop herself before throwing herself at the injured girl. It didn't look as though there was anywhere to hug Ari without hurting her.

"Hermione! Are you ok?"

"Of course I am! I should be asking you that though! You have been out for four days!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Nice to see you back among the living, Ari," Serra spoke up from the group.

Ari looked over and noticed her teammates were frowning.

"Uh, what's wrong?"

That seemed to be the wrong thing to ask.

"What's wrong? What's wrong! I'll tell you what's wrong! You decided to run off like a foolish reckless Gryffindor, and we got flattened in the last match of the year! That's what's wrong!" Serra yelled at the top of her lungs.

Ari paled. She had completely forgotten about Quidditch match.

"Guys, I am so-" Ari started looking at her teammates.

"Don't Ari," Cho stopped her with a raised hand. "According to the Headmaster, you were very brave to do what you did, and we respect that. However, next time go to a professor."

Ari nodded. Yeah, she hadn't really thought her actions all the way through.

"So, do you want to tell us what happened down there, Ari?" Ron asked.

Ari took one look at her team and the prefects and shook her head, "Maybe later Ron."

After a few hours of idle chatter, Madame Pomfrey decided that Ari needed her rest.

"Draco wait. Stay a moment please."

Madame Pomfrey raised her eyebrow at the girl.

"It's just for a moment. I promise."

Madame Pomfrey nodded and headed off to her office.

"What Ari?"

"I'm going to a summer camp and was wondering if you wanted to join me?"

Draco's eyes widened.

"A camp?"

"Yeah, remember on Christmas when Professor Snape said that many of my gifts were from family that was trying to make contact with me?"

Draco nodded; he remembered that conversation.

"Well, I made contact back. Apparently, I have family in America, and they run a camp. I've decided to spend a bit of my summer with them before coming back. I asked Professor Snape to contact them and ask them if you could come too, and they said sure."

"You want me to go to America with you?"

Ari nodded, "Yeah, it will be nice to actually know somebody there. Plus, it won't be much fun for you if you stay at Hogwarts all summer."

Draco thought about it for a minute before nodding, "Yeah, I'll go with you. When do we leave?"

"Right after the Hogwarts Express leaves."

Draco nodded once more before saying bye and leaving Ari to her rest.

A few days later, Ari was escorted down to the Great Hall by Professor Snape. Apparently, she was well enough to leave the Hospital Wing, but Madame Pomfrey wanted to make sure that she didn't exhaust herself tonight. Upon entering, Ari went straight over to the Ravenclaw table. The group of friends had already agreed that tonight was a night to be sitting with their own houses.

The feast was excellent, and Ari ate two helpings of the main dishes. She was excited because she knew for a fact that she was not going back to the Dursley's tomorrow. The Great Hall fell silent as the Headmaster stood up for everybody's attention.

"Another year has come and gone, and now I believe it is time to award the House Cup. In fourth place, Gryffindor with 402 points. In third place, Ravenclaw with 442 points. In second place, Hufflepuff with 452 points. And finally, in first place, Slytherin with 472 points."

Draco's table erupted into cheers. Ari clapped politely and noticed that everybody in their group was as well. It was just a friendly competition after all. Once the cheering died down, the Headmaster continued.

"Yes, congratulations to Slytherin; however, the professors and I have discussed it, and recent events should definitely be taken into account."

Many faces at the Slytherin table fell. That just wasn't fair!

"First to Mister Ronald Weasley…"

Ron's face turned as red as his hair.

"...for the best game of chess that Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor House 50 points."

Gryffindor table erupted into cheers, and Ron's brothers each gave him a pound on the back. Ari clapped loudly for her friend. It was an awesome game of chess now that she could think about it without fearing for her life.

When all was silent again, the Headmaster continued.

"Second, to Miss Hermione Granger...for use of logic in face of fire when others were in peril, I award Gryffindor House 50 points."

The cheers were loud once more from Gryffindor House. Hermione had her face in her arms, and Ari could have sworn that her friend was crying.

"Third…" The hall went silent as they realized that the Headmaster was not yet done. "To Mister Neville Longbottom...for unwavering loyalty to one's friends, I award Hufflepuff House 50 points."

Now it was time for the yellow house to raise up a storm. They had never expected to be rewarded points at the last minute. Cedric Diggory could be seen congratulating Neville.

"Fourth...to Miss Ari Potter," The silence was deafening. "For bravery beyond imagine and excellent time management skills…"

Snorts and giggles could be heard throughout the hall. Ari had definitely been in competition with the fifth and seventh years for most stressed and least freetime. Yet, she could always be seen laughing with her friends, and her homework was always done on time.

"I award Ravenclaw House 60 points."

Ari's friends and housemates cheered loud and proud. Emily, Faye, Serra, Keina, Maia and Gwen all gave Ari a quick hug. For her part, Ari was trying not to run from all the personal space invasion.

"And finally...for daring to go against long ingrained lessons despite the consequences, I award 30 points to Draco Malfoy."

Only a few people in Slytherin cheered for this, most of them being from neutral families. Ari made eye contact with Draco and gave him a large smile. She noticed that Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Marcus Flint, and Blaise Zabini were politely clapping for Draco.

"Now, with all of the points awarded and being recounted it seems we have a four way tie!"

Students could be seen doing mental math in their heads trying to figure out how that had happened. The Ravenclaws got it first and stared up at the Headmaster in shock.

"Therefore, to settle this, riddle me this…"

The Ravenclaws all leaned forward.

"What is the longest word in the english language?"

Immediately, students, mostly Ravenclaws began to shout out words."

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

"Aequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolic."

"Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis."

"Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylarginyl...isoleucine!"

Everybody turned to stare at that last person. It had taken them a long time to just pronounce the stupid word.

"What does that word even mean?" Cho asked.

"It is the chemical name of 'titin' (also known as 'connectin') - the largest known protein. It has 189,819 letters."

The Ravenclaws and teachers all sweat dropped. That was one long word. Everybody turned towards the Headmaster expecting him to say that that was the answer. However, all he did was smile.

"Smiles." came an answer from over at the Hufflepuff table.

Everybody turned to Neville who had spoken up.

"And how did you get that answer Mister Longbottom?" The Headmaster asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Because there is a mile in between each 's'." Neville answered hesitantly.

The Headmaster just continued to smile and then clapped his hands.

"Hufflepuff wins the House Cup!"

There was a stunned silence before Hufflepuff once more erupted into cheers. The rest of dinner went relatively calmly until about half past nine when Ari spotted Hedwig coming towards her with a bright red letter.

" _Here you go, M'lady,"_ Hedwig stated as she dropped the letter off and started to take flight again.

"Aren't you going to stay, Hedwig?" Ari questioned under her breath.

" _Haha, no, M'lady. I have no wish to be here when that thing goes off."_

Ari watched as Hedwig took off.

"Umm...Ari your letter is smoking," Faye pointed out bringing Ari out of her thoughts.

Ari looked down and sure enough the red envelope was smoking.

"Open it, Ari!" Serra ordered from her spot down the table.

"It isn't going to go away. And, if you wait for it to open itself, then it will only be worse," Gwen added.

Ari nodded and slowly opened the letter. She had never had one before and wasn't entirely sure what to expect. However, she never expected what she got.

" _IS THIS THING WORKING?"_ The voice of Ari's mom rang through the Great Hall.

" _YES, LADY ATHENA!"_ Hecate answered exasperatedly.

Ari sweat dropped. Her mom was sending her a howler?! What was Lady Hecate thinking?! Oh wait, she _wasn't_! As she looked around, she noticed that the howler had gained everybody's attention. The rumor mill was already running.

'Great, I am going to have to do damage control now! Oh joy of joys,' Ari thought to herself.

"Who doesn't know how to use a howler?"

"Who would send Potter one?"

"I didn't think her muggle relatives cared?"

" _THANK YOU, HECATE. ARI LILLIAN POTTER, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR EVER LOVING MIND?!"_

" _WAY TO GO KID!"_ Poseidon shouted in the background.

Some of the students were laughing by now. Apparently, this was _not_ how a normal howler went.

" _DON'T ENCOURAGE HER DAD!"_ Triton yelled.

'Are they permanently in council or something. I thought that they were only in council during the solstices or emergencies. My little adventure hardly counts as that,' Ari thought to herself as she tried to think of a spell to make herself invisible.

" _SHUT UP KELP-HEADS!"_ Athena snapped. _"ARI, I DO NOT RAISE MY CHILDREN TO GO RUNNING AROUND RECKLESSLY ENDANGERING THEIR LIVES AND THAT OF THEIR FRIENDS!"_

Ari and the entire group of said friends started to sink into their seats. It was quite obvious that this person was _not_ pleased. At the word children, utter chaos broke out in the Great Hall. Severus was actually starting to wonder if he had done the right thing in informing the Council of Ari's adventure. However, he had been told to keep them updated and that is what he had done. He had not expected Lady Hecate to inform Lady Athena how to send a howler. Ari's identity was now pretty much blown.

" _NOT THAT YOU RAISED HER. THOUGH, NEITHER DID I FOR THAT MATTER."_ Poseidon interjected.

More comments broke out at this. Were these people Potter's family? Why did it sound like they were claiming to be her parents? These questions and many more were being shouted around the Great Hall.

The Ravenclaws and Ari's friends were all looking at Ari with calculating looks. All that is except for Ron who didn't seem to be picking up on the hints. Ari, for her part, looked as though she just wanted the ground to swallow her whole right then and there.

" _WILL YOU SHUT UP, POSEIDON?!"_ Athena sounded very close to committing murder.

" _YOU KNOW HE HAS A POINT,"_ Apollo's voice piped up.

" _APOLLO, NOW WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT TIME FOR YOU TO LEARN TO REMAIN SILENT,"_ Artemis advised.

Severus found himself silently agreeing with Lady Artemis. Interrupting any of the goddesses when they were as pissed off as Lady Athena seemed to be was ill advised. More of the students found themselves laughing at the howler. This was by no definition a _normal_ howler.

" _WELL HE DOES,"_ Apollo attempted to state under his breath, but of course, everybody heard him.

" _ENOUGH! NOW, ARI, SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO ACT IN SUCH AN_ UNDIGNIFIED _MANNER AGAIN YOU WILL BE GROUNDED!"_

"I don't think I want to know how long that would last," Ari muttered under her breath. Keina, Caillen, and Faye all heard her though.

" _AND YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW LONG THAT CAN LAST FOR,"_ Dionysus muttered in the background.

Ari by now was severely tempted to start pounding her head into the table in front of her. No matter how _"undignified"_ an action it might be.

" _SPEAKING OF WHICH, SHOULDN'T YOU BE GETTING BACK TO YOURS, DIONYSUS?"_

" _YES, FATHER."_

" _YOU COULD BE A LITTLE NICER TO OUR SON, ZEUS."_

" _HERA."_

" _I BELIEVE WE SHOULD LET ATHENA CONTINUE WITH THE LETTER, SO THAT THE STUDENTS MIGHT RETURN TO THEIR STUDIES."_

By now, except for a few amongst the Slytherins, pretty much everybody in the Great Hall was laughing. You just couldn't make this stuff up. At the staff table, most of the teachers were outright laughing like the students, decorum forgotten, Professor McGonagall's lips were twitching so much, it was obvious that she found the situation hilarious. Professor Flitwick had fallen out of his seat and showed no signs of getting up anytime soon. Professor Snape seemed to be the only teacher not laughing at the situation. In fact, he looked very much like Ari.

'I can't believe that Lady Hecate taught them how to make a howler. It should have been obvious that it was never going to turn out well. They could have just waited for her to arrive at camp. Now, we have to figure out how to cover all of this up.'

" _THANK YOU, HESTIA. ARI, I HOPE YOU ENGAGED IN THESE RECKLESS ACTIVITIES_ AFTER _FOCUSING UPON YOUR STUDIES. SHOULD YOUR GRADES NOT REFLECT SUCH, I WILL BE GRAVELY DISAPPOINTED. I WILL SEE YOU UPON YOUR ARRIVAL AT CAMP TOMORROW."_

The howler proceeded to rip itself to pieces. As soon as it was clear that the howler was over, Caillen grabbed Ari and started to drag her out of the Great Hall. Hermione, Draco, Keina, Faye, and Neville joined them. Fred and George decided to followed them out of the Great Hall with Emily, Alex and Serra tagging along.

"Cai, let me go!" Ari yelled as she struggled to pull herself away from, her fellow Ravenclaw.

Despite the fact that she had been doing thrice weekly training since right after Halloween, Ari was still extremely small for her age. Professor Snape told her that strength would come with time. Her body could not expect to completely recover from years of neglect and abuse in only a handful of months.

Caillen didn't stop or respond. He just kept dragging her until they came to an empty classroom. He walked in with Ari and everybody else followed. Once everybody was in, Emily and Alex proceeded to put up a silencing ward and lock the door so that nobody would interrupt them.

Caillen then turned on Ari, "Is there something that you wish to explain to us Ari because I am pretty certain that you never mentioned having any family other than the Dursleys, and you barely talk about _them_."

"Ummmm..." She really didn't want to have this conversation. "Didn't I ever mention that I was adopted by the Potters?"

The group shook their heads no. Upon seeing that, Ari blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I thought that I had already told you guys that."

"So then those people in the howler were your family?" Hermione inquired trying to put the final pieces together.

Ari nodded.

"Ok, but you still aren't telling us everything," Caillen pointed out.

Ari gave him a curious look. Hermione let out a gasp as she finally figured it out.

"Ari, it isn't that hard to put the clues together, you have a water affinity and those people have the names of the Greek gods. Not to mention, the dagger that you keep on your waist," Keina pointed out the facts.

At the mention of the dagger, Alex, Emily, and Serra looked alarmed. However, if their suspicions were correct, then it was completely understandable.

"Wait you noticed that?!" Ari was shocked. She always made sure to keep it covered.

"What dagger!?" Fred and George yelled.

The others in the group turned towards the twins.

"Did you really not put it together?" Alex questioned with a raised eyebrow.

The twins shook their heads, "We just followed to see what you were up to."

The Ravenclaws and Hermione rolled their eyes at the twins. Deciding to put it off as the twins being the twins, the group turned back on Ari.

"Well..." Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ummm...I am a demigod" Ari muttered under her breath.

Caillen shook his head, "Want to try that again, Ari? _Two_ of them claimed you as their child."

Ari sighed. This was not going to go over very well.

"IamthemortalgoddessdaughterofLadyAthenaandLordPoseidon," she stated very quickly.

"Want to run that by us again?" Fred asked.

Ari stands up deciding to call on her Gryffindor side a bit. It wasn't often, but this time she believed that she needed to be more Gryffindor than Ravenclaw.

"I am Ari Lillian Potter, mortal goddess. The daughter of Lady Athena and Lord Poseidon and the adopted daughter of Lily and James Potter."

Many of the people in the room nodded. They had figured out that it was something along those lines when they heard the hints during the howler. They had mainly just wanted it confirmed. Any of the clues by themselves were coincidence; however, all of them together was too much to be overlooked.

"Why didn't you tell us, Ari?" Neville asked.

"Nobody was supposed to know. It isn't exactly safe knowledge. Most people would think me nuts if I went around claiming that my parents and other relatives are the ancient Greek gods. I just completely forgot to tell you guys that I was adopted and had found my birth family."

At that, everybody nodded. It made sense.

"How do you guys even know about demigods?" Ari questioned suddenly. "Nobody is supposed to know."

Serra stepped forward, "Honestly Ari, our civilization was created by the goddess of magic. Just because she forbids the gods from mixing with us doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. There are plenty of instances in our history of demigods doing wonders in the magical world."

"They mostly come from the muggleborns because the gods don't directly interact with us," Draco added in.

"Most of us grow up with stories about it. I'm honestly shocked that you were able to keep everybody from figuring it out all year," Neville admitted. "Most of the time, demigods are pretty easy to point out in the magical world because of their special talents that go beyond normal magic."

Ari was amazed. She knew about Hecate creating the civilization, but she had no idea that the magical world still recognized its connection to the gods.

"So, you're immortal?" Hermione questioned changing the topic.

Ari shook her head, "No, Hermione. I'm mortal. Just an overly powerful demigod."

Hermione nodded and smiled. It was Caillen who pointed out the new issue.

"What are you going to do? That howler from your parents pretty much blew your cover."

Ari sighed, "If I know them, Professor Snape and the Headmaster have already come up with a plan to cover this up or at least make people see the truth in a way that it isn't the complete truth."

"Why not just let them find out?" Hermione questioned.

Serra shook her head, "Hermione, demigods might be accepted in our society doesn't mean that they want it to necessarily get out. There are plenty of instances where the demigods have been hunted, imprisoned, or worse because of people's fear for their gifts and abilities."

Hermione looked at Ari with wide eyes.

"We just want to keep it to ourselves for as long as possible. It's easier for me because my abilities can pass as a water affinity."

"Well no worries there," Alex piped up from near the door. "I think I can speak for everybody when I say that we will keep your secret.

Once everybody had nodded in confirmation to Alex's statement, Emily and Alex quickly took down the wards, and the group made their way back to the Great Hall. Instead of all going back to their individual tables, they all went and sat at the Ravenclaw table. Ari gestured up to the staff table, and the others noticed that the heads of houses were all talking to Professor Dumbledore.

Within a few moments, Professor Dumbledore once more called for the students' attention.

"Well, after that bit of end of the year excitement, I believe that it is time to finish dinner and then head to bed. Please remember that the train leaves the station at eleven. If you find that you have forgo-"

"What about that howler? Who were those people, and what do they have to do with Potter?" Pansy shouted at the top of her lungs interrupting the Headmaster.

"Miss Parkinson, you will sit down, or find yourself owing detentions next year before this one is even finished," her head of house snapped.

Pansy sat down; however, upon looking around, Ari realized that many shared Pansy's point of view. Ari raised her hand to get the attention of the Headmaster.

"Yes, Miss Potter?" The Headmaster inquired with an extremely bright twinkle in his eyes.

Ari stood up, " I would like to address who the people in the letter are. I believe that it will help to stop many of the rumors before they grow too ridiculous."

Professor Snape looked at his student with interest. None of the teachers had been able to come up with a logical excuse as to who the people in the letter were without outing Ari as a demigod. They were hoping just to ignore it and that the students would find something else of interest eventually.

All eyes were on Ari. The teachers just hoped that she knew what she was doing.

"Well, what many of you do not know is that I was adopted by the Potters when I was only a few days old."

Chaos immediately broke out. After a few minutes, Professor Dumbledore called for silence.

"After the events of Halloween 1981, I was sent to live with Lily's sister's family. Professor Snape came and delivered my letter to me and informed me of my status as a witch and that I was adopted. The next day, I decided to start looking into my family and see if I could find anything."

That wasn't exactly a lie. She had been curious as to who her parents were, but she had not actively started looking until the Sorting Hat, Hedwig and the other owls had let some things slip.

"I eventually asked Professor Snape to assist in trying to find out who my family was. Just after Halloween, we found them. My mom and dad live in America and placed me up for adoption because, at the time, they were not able to take care of me."

Murmurs broke out again. Ari had found her birth family.

"Since then, I have been exchanging letters with them, and they have asked Professor Snape to keep them up to date on how I am doing. That right there should explain how they know of what happened."

"How do they not know how to use a howler?" Pansy sneered.

Ari looked right at Pansy, "They are from a different culture. Have any of you ever been to the American wizarding community?"

The majority of the students shook their heads.

"Howlers really aren't that popular outside of Europe. In some communities, they are considered downright cruel. However, my family has agreed to learn about the British traditions if I do the same for the American."

"Ok, but that doesn't explain how they could be so rude as to talk over one another," a Gryffindor by the name of Lavender pointed out.

Ari rolled her eyes, she was going to hate saying this, but they wouldn't listen to anything except the prejudices that they had grown up with.

"They're Americans. Of course, they are going to talk over one another. Aren't Americans by nature loud, rude and obnoxious?"

This seemed to do the trick. Everybody started to relax and bought the only half lie. The people in the howler were just Ari's parents, and they were trying something that was not normal in their culture.

After a few minutes, the professors dismissed the students for bed. The heads of houses went to their common rooms to help prevent any rumors. All were impressed with Ari's cover story.

Professor Snape entered the Slytherin common room to find almost all of his students waiting. He was happy to see that Draco was sitting by Greengrass, Nott, and Zabini. It was well known that the Greengrass and Zabini families were neutral, and Nott did not wish to follow his father.

"What are you all doing down here? Get to bed you leave early tomorrow."

"Professor, we just wanted to ask you for more information about Potter's family," Daphne Greengrass spoke up.

Professor Snape sighed, he was going to have to answer their questions.

"Very well, what do you wish to know. I will not answer your question though if I deem that it is personal. There are some questions that only Ari can answer."

"Is Ari still considered a Potter? She wasn't born into the family," Pansy immediately attacked.

Many in the room rolled their eyes. Pansy would only be happy if she could start to pull rank over Ari.

"Yes, Miss Parkinson, Ari is still considered a Potter. She was adopted into their family, and in the Potter's final will, she was named heiress."

Most of the students nodded; that was tradition.

"What rank is her family?" Marcus Flint questioned.

He didn't hate Ari. He had actually been impressed by how well she had adapted to the wizarding world and that doesn't mention her skills in Quidditch.

"Miss Potter's family comes from a long ancient line of Greek Magic. Many years ago, they immigrated to America and have been there ever since. So, to answer your question, Miss Potter is actually a pureblood if you want to be technical about it."

The students of Slytherin were extremely shocked by this. It was weird for a pureblood to downplay their status, and Ari had definitely been doing that. She had never led anyone to believe that she was anything other than a half-blood orphan.

"Now, to bed."

The students quickly made their way to the dormitories. They would need to be up early to finish last minute packing and then it would be off to the train.

In Ravenclaw Tower, most of the students took what Ari had said as the truth and left it at that. They believed that everybody had the right to privacy. Instead, the ravens were busy making sure that they had everything packed for the next morning and that all books had been returned to the Ravenclaw library. It wa about 10:30 when the prefects decided that it was time for everybody to be in bed.

The next morning could only be described as chaos. Everybody was running in every direction, and no amount of directing from the professors could organize the chaos that was the result. Of course, the Ravenclaws and Slytherins were more prepared than the other two houses.. However, even they still had a few things to pack up. They just weren't running around like headless chickens.

Eventually, everybody was ushered by a bunch of frazzled looking prefects to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast.

"I still don't get why you won't be on the train with us, Ari," Ron complained as he helped himself to a third serving.

The group looked at one another. They had decided to not tell Ron until he either figured it out for himself, never going to happen, or it became unavoidable.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "She already told you, _Ron_. Professor Snape is escorting her to the airport, and she is going to catch a plane to America to visit her family."

"I am curious as to where you are going Draco," Neville stated.

Draco smirked, "I'm going with Ari."

"Since when?" Caillen asked.

"Actually, I asked Professor Snape if he could ask my family,and they said it wouldn't be a problem," Ari answered. "I only told Draco the other day that he would be coming with me to camp."

"Yeah, she conveniently forgot to mention that the camp is partially run by her parents and that she even had living parents," Draco mock pouted.

"I forgot. I'm sorry!" Ari all but yelled.

"Yeah, well, which of the two stories is true?" Draco questioned. He knew now the story that they were given on Christmas and the story from last night.

Ari gave Draco a questioning look, "What do you mean?"

"Ari, you have two stories going. The one from Christmas where unknown family on your father's side was trying to get in contact with you and then the one from last night that you found them after Halloween. I am guessing that they are the same family members."

Ari nodded, "They are the same family members. Both stories are kind of a mixture of the truth but neither is completely truthful either."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"When do we get the full truth?"

The rest of the group nodded.

"When we have more than half an hour before train leaves and can't be overheard," Ari responded looking around. "And Draco, I think you are the only student that was here over break that made the connection between the two sets of relatives. As far as anybody else is concerned, the Christmas relatives are from James Potter's family, and the ones from yesterday are my birth family. Now, can we drop it for now?"

Her friends had been giving her a difficult time all morning about having forgotten to tell them about her family. Her friends just chuckled at her expense.

Eventually, the professors called an end to breakfast and instructed the students to go and grab their trucks from where the elves had placed them near the entrance and head out to the train.

Ari and Draco walked with their friends down to the Hogwarts Express and assisted them in getting their trunks put away.

"Now, don't forget to write," Hermione instructed.

"I won't if you won't," Ari returned.

The group all nodded. There was no reason not to keep in touch.

"Ari will the owls reach you in America?" Faye questioned.

Ari nodded, "Yeah, they should make it fine. Just don't expect to be getting a response the next day. Even with magic, the owls will need rest."

"ALL ABOARD!" The call came.

Another quick round of goodbyes and Ari and Draco were watching as the Hogwarts express pulled out of the station.

"Alright you two, let's go," Professor Snape called.

The two nodded and followed Professor Snape towards the Great Hall. Inside, all of the heads of houses and the Headmaster were waiting with Ari and Draco's belongings.

"Now, you two are aware that you are heading to a camp run by Ari's family, correct?" the Headmaster questioned.

The two students nodded.

"However, I don't believe that you know exactly what this camp is, Draco," Professor Snape continued. "Draco the camp is a camp for-"

"Demigods," Draco interrupted, and he and Ari enjoyed watching the teachers' reactions.

"How did you know?"

"Who told you?"

The duo laughed until they saw Professor Snape glaring at them.

"When my friends dragged me out of the Great Hall last night, they had put the pieces together and wanted confirmation. So, to answer your question you could say that the gods told them or at least gave them enough to figure it out," Ari answered.

Professor Snape paled, "Which members of your group dragged you off last night and were there any others?"

"Draco, Hermione, Caillen, Keina, Faye, Serra, Neville, Emily, Alex, Fred and George," Ari answered again.

If it was possible, Professor Snape went even paler. The rest of the teachers were not much better off.

"You are telling me that eleven teenagers and pre-teens know your secret, and you let ten of them leave without telling me so that I could warn them to keep it quiet?" Professor Snape inquired.

Ari just nodded. Professor Snape turned towards the Headmaster.

"We will send out a letter to all mentioned and inform them that they need to keep them quiet. Tell them that it is a matter of the utmost importance," The Headmaster answered the unspoken question.

"I will have to inform the Council that a group of teenagers is running around the United Kingdom with their secret."

"They won't tell anybody," Ari piped up. "I mean, who would believe them anyway. I think they are going to treat it like we treat magic. No talking about it. Only instead of not talking about it outside school it's no talking about it outside of our group."

"The letters will still be sent. Now, you two have a portkey to catch, or you are going to be late. Now, grab hold of your trunks and come here."

Ari and Draco did as told and stepped forward.

"Now, I am certain that you both know what a portkey is, and Mr. Malfoy, you have at least used one. However, a brief explanation for Miss Potter is in order," the Headmaster spoke. "A portkey is a transportation device for those that either are too young to apparate, do not wish to apparate, or are travelling internationally. You are traveling internationally and are too young to apparate so this is the only way to get you to camp quickly."

Professor Flitwick stepped forward with a four foot long piece of rope. He tied each end to one of their trunks.

"You will need to hold the rope tightly with both hands. Because this is Miss Potter's first time and you are both so young, we felt that it would be safer if your trunks were tied on and you had usage of both hands," Professor Flitwick explained.

Ari and Draco each grabbed ahold of the rope, and then Professor McGonagall stepped forward.

"When you start to feel the pressure loosening, bend your knees. It will help you to land on your feet. Now, hold on tightly." Ari and Draco both tightened their grips. "Half-blood."

With that finally word spoken, both Ari and Draco felt a pull at their navel, and they were off. Ari hadn't known what exactly to expect, but the rushing of colors and feeling of nauseousness was not it. She completely forgot about the warning to bend her knees when she felt the pressure loosening. It was for this reason that when the movement suddenly stopped, Ari found herself stumbling and landing on her stomach on a table. When she looked up, it was only to be met with the tip of a sword.


	17. Chapter 16

**I still do not own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. The only thing that I do own is my creative muse, and I sometimes think I don't even own that.**

 **Chapter 16**

Ari's eyes followed the sword's length until she met cold blue eyes that sent a shiver up her spine. For some reason, she could not break contact as the eyes seemed to draw her in. Ari knew in an instant that if given the chance, this boy would not hesitate to kill her.

"Stand down, Luke!" a voice called from what seemed like a great distance away.

Ever so slowly, the sword began to lower and the boy, now identified as Luke, stepped away. However, Ari noticed quickly that he didn't completely sheath the sword. After being certain that she wasn't going to be skewered, Ari slowly pushed herself off the table and backed away. She looked to her side to see Draco staring at her wide eyed in concern with his wand drawn at the ready, standing next to a centaur.

"You ok, Ari?" Draco whispered as his friend moved towards her.

Ari just nodded keeping an eye on the boy with the sword. Once she was standing next to Draco, she took a closer look around her surroundings. There was around 100 kids sitting at twelve different tables. Ari looked over to the table at the front of the pavilion and saw Dionysus who was watching the events as they unfolded closely.

"Well," the centaur began, who Ari realized upon looking again was Chiron.

Dionysus decided to interrupt, "Chiron get the two a seat and let's finish the meal before our food runs cold. Introductions can be made afterwards at the amphitheater."

Chiron nodded and led the two to the front table. Ari felt every eye followed her and Draco as they moved to the seats and sat down. Ari and Draco both looked at the empty plates and watched as grapes, cheese, bread, and some lean cut barbecue appeared before them. Both of them began to eat.

Whispers immediately broke out at this action. Draco looked over at Ari trying to figure out what was wrong. Dionysus decided to enlighten the boy.

"They whisper because you did not sacrifice to the gods before you ate. What they do not know is that the gods have given you a pass this time."

Draco looked at Ari with a raised eyebrow. She quickly swallowed what was in her mouth.

"I'll explain later, Draco," She whispered.

The meal finished relatively quickly after that, Ari and Draco both didn't eat much because they had literally just eaten breakfast before coming. The duo watched as the students made their way out of the pavilion before following Chiron at a slow pace. Ari looked at the sky and noticed that the sun was only just coming up.

'They must have been eating breakfast.'

"I must apologize for the welcome that you received Ari. The campers were not made aware of your arrival, and you arrived earlier than expected. Now, Draco, I was told of your arrival and you will be staying in the Big House," Draco nodded. "Ari, you have the option of either staying in Athena cabin, cabin 6, with your brothers and sisters or in Poseidon cabin, cabin 3."

Ari nodded, "Let's meet my siblings first and see how they take having a half sister who is a direct result of mom breaking her vows."

"Very wise decision. Ahh, here we are."

They arrived at the amphitheater to find every pair of eyes looking intently at them. Chiron cleared his throat nervously, clearly uncertain as to how his heroes were going to take this news. After almost five minutes of awkward silence passed, yelling broke out and many demigods surged to their feet as more than one gestured to something over Ari's head. Ari looked up and noticed two symbols floating over her head; a green trident overlaid with a grey owl.

Once the two symbols were gone, Ari tuned in to the conversations, or protests, that were going on around her.

"How is this possible?"

"Which is her parent?"

"Are the gods really that confused?"

"I would expect this sort of thing from Lords Apollo or Hermes but never Lady Athena!"

The shouts continued on for another five minutes with Chiron trying to regain control of the situation. The demigods that seemed to be the most distressed were the ones with blond hair and stormy grey eyes. If Ari had to guess, they were the brainchildren of Lady Athena. They were talking to each other in hushed tones, occasionally yelling out something, all the while sending Ari calculating glances.

"Enough!"

The demigods immediately went silent as all turned to look at Mr. D.

"Now, stop behaving like the petulant children that you are. Chiron, I believe that there are some formalities that need to be taken care of-"

Dionysus raised an eyebrow at Chiron who quickly caught on.

"The bloodline is determined. Poseidon-earthshaker, stormbringer, lord of horses. Athena- wisdom, handicrafts, useful arts, battle strategy and lady of owls. Hail, Ari Potter, daughter of the sea god and wisdom goddess.

Ari watched as Chiron and all of the demigods began to kneel before her. She could tell that many only did it because it was expected of them. She was going to have to prove herself to them.

"Good, now since you have all wasted time, figure out where she is sleeping and go back to training," Dionysus ordered before walking away.

Chiron turned towards Ari, "You have the choice child, Cabin 3 for your father or Cabin 6 for your mother."

Ari looked over at the campers that she guessed to be her siblings and knew instantly that she was not going to be welcome.

"Cabin 3, Chiron," Ari whispered as she looked at the ground.

She had honestly hoped that her siblings would accept her. The gods cheated on each other before, and it wasn't like she was any different from them. Except for the fact that their mother had broken her vow to produce Ari, and that was what was separating her from her siblings.

Chiron nodded, "This way then. Everyone else, to training."

Ari and Draco followed Chiron to a cluster of cabins that were in the shape of a half circle. Each cabin was unique in design. One was glowing silver in the moonlight; Ari knew it had to be Artemis' cabin.

"Here we are. Make yourself at home."

Ari began to walk inside but was stopped by a sudden hand on her shoulder. She looked up at the owner of said arm and stared into Chiron's eyes that showed much disappointment.

"They will come around child. This is just a shock to them."

Ari nodded and continued inside. Draco was led to the Big House and was given one of the guest rooms that was to be his permanently.

Ari spent the next couple of hours making herself at home in her cabin. There were enough bunk beds to hold about 20 kids; however, only one was going to be put to any use. at the foot of each bunk bed was a set of dressers, one for the top and one for the bottom. A section of the room had a set of bookshelves and a desk that looked as though they had only recently been put in. Deciding that since she was going to be here until the end of July, Ari unloaded all of her important books and placed them on the bookshelf. She turned to the desk to see if it was already stocked to find a note in the top drawer.

 **Ari,**

 **Your mother warned me that it was a high possibility that you would not be accepted right away in her cabin. To help make you more comfortable, I have added the desk and bookshelves. Don't worry, the campers never stay mad forever, and Athena's children are just confused. It will all work out in the end.**

 **P.S. You will be summoned within the next couple of weeks to come to Olympus.**

Ari was speechless, her parents had guessed that this would happen.

'I guess being thousands of years old gives you insight to how your children will react,' Ari thought to herself as she continued to unpack.

It was nearing eleven when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," Ari replied without thinking.

"Can't, against camp rules," came the curt reply.

Sighing, Ari made her way to the door to find the boy, Luke, from earlier and a blonde haired girl.

"Can I help you," Ari asked.

The two looked at each other before the girl went back to studying Ari.

"Chiron wants you at the Big House," Luke stated before starting to walk off. The blonde girl followed.

Letting out another sigh, which she seemed to be doing a lot of that today, Ari made her way to the Big House. Once inside, she spotting Draco sitting next to Dionysus and a group of thirteen kids sitting off to the side.

"Ari come in. We were just about to get started," Chiron called.

Ari walked in a took a seat next to Draco. As if it was some sort of sign, the thirteen children also took seats completing a circle.

"Now, Ari I would like to introduce you and Draco to the camp counselors. There is one for each cabin except cabins 1, 2, 3, and 8. Everybody, introduce yourselves."

"Katie Gardner, Daughter of Demeter," a kind looking girl stood up.

"Clarisse La Rue, Daughter of Ares," was the clipped reply of a big, tall girl with long, stringy light brown hair, pig-like brown eyes and strong looking. She almost looked like a female Crabbe and Goyle.

"Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena," the blonde hair grey eyed girl from earlier snapped. Her eyes currently looked like the sky during a bad storm.

Ari flinched from the gaze. Yep, she was definitely a half-sibling.

"Annabeth," Chiron started, but Ari shook her head.

"Lee Fletcher, Son of Apollo. Don't take anything too personally; you just gave everybody a shock."

Ari nodded her thanks and gave him a small smile. Maybe she wouldn't be hated by everybody.

"Charles Beckendorf, Son of Hephaestus. Just call me Beckendorf; everybody does."

"Silena Beauregard, Daughter of Aphrodite," came the polite introduction from a girl who looked like she should be in a beauty pageant and not at a camp for kids learning to cream each other with swords.

"Luke Castellan, Son of Hermes," Luke finally introduced himself. Ari noticed that he had a scar running down the side of his face. His blue eyes were as cold as they had been at the dining pavilion.

"Castor, Son of Dionysus."

"Pollux, Son of Dionysus."

Ari raised her eyebrow to Chiron.

"They are twins and decided that they wanted to be co-counselors."

Ari nodded; that made sense.

"Now, Ari would you and Draco introduce yourselves and maybe a little bit of background information."

Ari and Draco looked at each other. It was silently decided that Ari would go first.

"My name is Ari Potter. I was raised by my aunt and uncle in Surrey. At the age of eleven, I discovered that I was a witch-"

There were many questioning and confused looks from this.

"Sorry, you would call them blessed of Hecate," Ari corrected herself.

The counselors nodded their understanding.

"I left for school in Scotland becoming friends with Draco and others. Around Halloween, we discovered that I had an affinity for water-"

Draco let out a snort while recalling the exact events that led to that discovery. Noticing that he was being stared at he waved Ari on, who gave him a roll of her eyes and a half smile, easing the rising tension for her.

"On Halloween, I discovered that I had two immortal parents. It was decided that instead of returning to my relatives, who have mysteriously vanished, that I would come here. School let out this morning and here I am."

Draco knew that Ari hadn't told even half of her story, but he wasn't going to call her on it. He didn't even know the entire story yet. So far, these kids didn't seem to like her that much, and he wasn't going to fault her for keeping some information to herself. A sharp elbow to the ribs drew him back to the present, and he realized that it was his turn.

"My name is Draco Malfoy. I was raised in Wiltshire, England. I always knew that I was a wizard. At age eleven, I began to attend school. I met Ari on our way there. At the end of the year, Ari asked me to join her here, and I accepted."

Seeing how the young witch and wizard didn't wish to reveal much more, which was caught by a few of the others in the group Chiron decided to step in, "Alright, since introductions are out of the way, we just have a few more orders of business before lunch. Draco you will be with me for training because unlike a born demigod, I am going to have to train you from the very beginning. You weren't born with the same instinct as a demigod."

Draco nodded in acceptance. He was just happy not to be stuck at school all summer.

"Ari, you will need to join a cabin for training. Normally, the schedule is by cabin; however, it is pointless to have you training by yourself. Decide a cabin by the end of the day and let me know.

Ari nodded. She knew which cabin she would like to train with. The issue was getting them to accept her.

"Finally, camp rules."

The counselors groaned at this.

"Now, now. Ari and Draco need to know them and some of your cabins could do with a reminder," Chiron sent a meaningful look at Luke. "1. No entering another cabin. It is considered a high offense. 2. No littering. The nature spirits will not stand for it. 3. Training is fine but no maiming. 4. Keep your cabin clean. We have bi-weekly cabin checks. 5. No leaving camp without permission. 6. Goes back to number 1, no eating at another table. 7. Curfew is strictly observed. 8. No outside food. 9. Stay out of the attic unless told otherwise. 10. No alcohol."

Ari and Draco nodded. It was all pretty much common sense rules.

"Now, Draco, you do not have a cabin. Therefore, you will sit at the high table with Mr. D and myself. The gods will tell us if you can sit anywhere else, but for now, let's go with that."

With all of that said, the group filed out to go and get their cabins ready for lunch.

"Ari," Chiron called.

"Yes?"

"Come with me child. There is no point in walking back to your cabin."

Ari nodded. Draco walked with them.

"As of now Ari, you are the counselor of cabin 3."

Ari started to protest but Chiron cut her off.

"No, child. You are the only person in that cabin. Therefore, you are counselor. Now, go take your seats while I call for the others. Also, I would recommend that you two follow what the rest do when it comes to sacrifices."

Ari and Draco nodded before heading to their seats. Within the next ten minutes, campers began to file into the pavilion. Ari noticed that there seemed to be a rank in order. The counselors led the group and there seemed to be an order from there. However, Ari couldn't figure it out without more information.

After everybody was seated, the food appeared on the tables and in order of parent rank, the children began to make their way up to the fire in the center of the room. Ari held back to see what it was they were exactly doing. After the Dionysus kids went up, Ari motioned Draco to follow her. Together they walked up to the flames and dropped in a piece of their food.

"To Athena, Poseidon, and Triton. Thank you," Ari whispered before heading back to her seat to finish her meal.

Once all the children were done eating, Chiron stood up and the pavilion quieted down.

"Now, for announcements. You have all met our two newest campers. As decided, Ari will take residence in the cabin of her father, and Draco will reside in the Big House. The final announcement is that capture the flag will take place on Friday."

With the announcements over, the children began to make their way to the campfire. Ari and Draco sat together during the sing-along. However, they didn't sit close to anybody else. Ari knew that her new found half-siblings were going to be wary around her for a while yet. She would have to prove herself to the rest of the campers.

That night, all the campers slept soundly as the minotaur appeared at the border chasing after a boy, his mom, and a satyr. The boy defeated the minotaur after his mother vanished in a flash of golden light. Stumbling across the border, Chiron and Annabeth met the boy and brought him to the safety of the Big House.

Draco awoke to sounds of hurried talking. He made his way downstairs to see what was going on in the middle of the night. He followed the voices to the infirmary and saw a group surrounding a body on a bed. He stood there for a few minutes before Chiron noticed him.

"Draco, you should be in bed."

"Sorry, Chiron, I heard the noises and wanted to know what was going on."

Chiron nodded, "I understand, but there is nothing for you here. Go back to bed. You will meet our guest when he awakens."

The next morning, Ari noticed that Draco, Annabeth, Chiron and a couple of the Apollo campers all looked exhausted. Chiron pulled Ari aside and explained the situation to her and Draco.

"So, who is he?" Draco questioned.

"His name is Percy Jackson. I have been watching over him for the last school year. He is a powerful demigod."

Ari noticed that Chiron wasn't telling them everything.

"Do you know who his godly parent is?"

"There is no way to know until he is claimed," Chiron hedged.

"But, you have an idea," Ari insisted.

"I feel that it is best if we don't assume anything until the gods tell us what is definite."

With that, Chiron sent the two kids off to do some training. Ari knew that she needed to talk to Annabeth.

"Annabeth," Ari called upon finding her sister leaning against a tree reading a book in the middle of the woods.

Annabeth looked up and scowled, "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk, please."

Annabeth shut the book she was reading and motioned to Ari that she was listening.

"Annabeth, please. I know that I am not the normal kind of half-sibling and am most definitely an unwanted one. However, could you at least talk to me."

"Talk about what?" Annabeth snapped. "Talk about how mom broke her oath, talk about how she broke that oath with her biggest rival, or talk about how you are the result of said broken oath with said biggest rival?"

Ari flinched, "You know, it's not like I asked to be the daughter of my parents. I didn't walk up to the being in charge of these things and say 'hey, I want to be their daughter please.' Honestly, think like a daughter of wisdom for one moment. Would you blame the child of a rapist for their parent's crimes?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"Then why blame me for our mother's mistakes?"

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Ari let Annabeth think about what she had said.

"You are right. We do blame you for our mother's broken vow. However, like it or not, and believe me we don't, you are still our sister," Annabeth turned towards Ari. "Now, I believe you are here to really ask if you can train with us, are you not?"

Ari nodded, "Yes, I want to train with my siblings."

Annabeth nodded and gave a smirk, "Then, let's go. Sword training starts in ten minutes."

With that, Ari spent the rest of the day training with her half-siblings. If they went harder on her than on each other, nobody complained. Ari was just happy that they were letting her train with them.

This schedule continued for the next couple of days until Annabeth was called away during Greek lessons to the Big House. Annabeth of course, dragged Ari along with her.

"If I know Chiron, he will want you summoned eventually. This will save me a trip."

At the Big House, they finally came upon the group that they were searching for. The duo listened as Chiron tried and failed to explain the ancient world to Percy. Percy just seemed lost.

Annabeth and Ari both flinched as Percy was disrespectful towards Dionysus.

"He's going to wind up getting himself killed before he even has a chance to be claimed," Annabeth muttered under her breath.

Ari nodded in agreement with her sister. A few minutes later, Dionysus flashed out to report to an emergency meeting on Olympus.

"Emergency meeting," Ari snorted. "They've been in a never ending emergency meeting since Halloween."

Chiron shook his head at the mortal goddess while the two demigods just watched in confusion.

"Annabeth, Percy will be staying in cabin 11 until he is claimed please escort him there. Ari, inform cabin 6 that Malcolm will need to take over for today."

Both of the girls nodded and headed out to do as they were instructed. It was a few hours later, that Ari came upon a sight that would cause her great laughter in days to come whenever she thought about it.

She watched as a group of Ares' daughters dragged Percy into the bathroom.

"Time for the newbie's initiation," Clarisse taunted.

Ari watched as Clarisse started to lower Percy's head into the toilet. She felt it before it happened, the plumbing the the bathroom exploded just as it had Halloween night in her own battle against the troll.

Ari quickly made sure that none of the water touched either herself or Annabeth who was watching through her fingers. It was all over with in a matter of minutes; however, by the end of the event, Ari was certain that she knew who Percy's parent was. Capture the flag the next day would just confirm that.

Annabeth had pull some strings to get the Athena cabin aligned with the Hermes, Apollo, and Poseidon cabins. Of course, the Ares' cabin had tried to align with Ari, but Ari had already made an agreement with Annabeth. She would be fighting beside her siblings.

Ari watched as Annabeth assigned Percy to watch over the border by the river. Draco was not participating because he did not have enough training or the instincts to fight without formal training. Annabeth had already given Ari her assignment. Ari was to watch over Percy from the trees, and if he needed help, intervene. There was no reason to leave him to the mercy of the Ares' cabin by himself.

It didn't take long for Annabeth's prediction to come true. Ari was hidden in the trees with her bow at the ready and watched as five Ares' campers charged Percy. He held his ground well, but there was no real substitution for training and experience. About five minutes after the fighting started, one of the campers made the mistake of pushing Percy into the river. Ari watched closely to see if her prediction would turn out to be true.

Almost as though he had been given twelve jumbo pixie sticks, Percy was suddenly up on his feet and giving the Ares' camper what would probably amount to one of the toughest fights of their lives so far.

Ari wanted to laugh at their expressions as Percy pushed them flat on their butts. It was only a few minutes later that the horn sounded signaling the end of the game. The group made their way back to the main clearing to see Luke holding the flag in victory.

"It was a trick!" Clarisse shouted.

Ari laughed, "Not Annabeth's fault that you and your siblings were so predictable."

Clarisse frowned at the girl. However, she was not foolish enough to go against the daughter of two gods, even if the daughter was just as mortal as she herself was.

The celebration was shortly lived as a low howl rang out through the forest. Instantly, weapons began to reappear, and the campers were on edge trying to find the beast that was in their forest. Suddenly, on the cliff above them appeared a giant Hellhound.

"Archers, ready you bows. Stand ready heroes," Chiron shouted.

Ari noticed that the beast seemed to only be staring at one demigod in particular, Percy Jackson. The Hellhound prepared itself to attack, and Ari knew what its target would be. As the beast sprang, Ari rushed forward.

"Percy, move!" Ari shouted as she pushed Percy aside.

However, she herself was not able to get out of the way of the beast. She went down under a mass of thick black fur. Her arm that held her knife was pinned beneath her, unable to be any use. As the beast ripped at her, she faintly heard the sounds of shouts and the distinct sound of arrows whizzing through the air. A few moments later, the beast was being dragged off of Ari, and she was looking up into the concerned face of Annabeth.

"Ari, are you alright?" Annabeth questioned as she tried to help Ari to her feet.

Ari stumbled, and there were numerous gasps as the others caught sight of her. Ari looked down and noticed that her chest was completely covered in blood from the claws of the beast.

"Annabeth get her in the water!" Chiron ordered as he moved forward to try and help.

Annabeth nodded and motioned forward Malcolm. Together the two of them got their little sister into the water just as she blacked out. They held her in the water until her wounds were nothing but scratches and then slowly and gently pulled her to shore.

Once back on shore, everybody turned to Percy. Above his head was a symbol that they had seen just a few days earlier. Above his head, was the glowing green trident of Poseidon.

"It is decided. Poseidon-earthshaker, stormbringer, lord of horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God," Chiron announced as everybody bowed before the newly claimed demigod.

Percy's eyes never left the form of the girl on the ground. The girl that had saved him. The girl that was his sister.


	18. Chapter 17

**As always enjoy, reviews are appreciated**

 **Chapter 17**

Within seconds of the claiming symbol vanishing, Chiron had the campers moving with a flurry of orders. He trotted over and carefully picked up Ari. A few Apollo campers ran ahead to ready the infirmary for the newest patient. The rest of their siblings walked around the gathered campers and began to heal those that were injured. Counselors were making sure that their cabin mates were all accounted for.

Once everybody was able to move, the campers began to make their way over to the evening camp fire. Percy followed Annabeth, who dragged him along behind her muttering about sea-spawn, needing a plan, and mortal goddesses that needed to remember that they were _mortal_.

Chiron arrived at the campfire about 45 minutes after the last camper and the singing instantly cut off.

"Ari will survive."

This announcement was met with a sigh of relief and the releasing of a breathe that many didn't realize they had been holding. Draco looked at Chiron with a question in his eyes. Chiron, seeming to understand, nodded once, and Draco took off at a quick pace towards the Big House.

"Now, I believe that we will all turn in early tonight. We have definitely had more than enough excitement."

Many of the campers groaned at this announcement; however, the counselors, knowing that Chiron was serious and wouldn't change his mind, began to herd their siblings towards their respective cabins.

Percy stood uncertainly in the middle of the amphitheater as he watched everybody trinkle back to their cabins. He didn't think that he was supposed to go back to the Hermes' cabin, but that didn't mean that he was supposed to go to the Poseidon cabin either. As far as he knew, Poseidon wasn't supposed to have any children.

"Come, Percy. We will check on Ari and then get you to your cabin," Chiron called grabbing the boy's attention.

Together the duo began to make their way slowly to the Big House. Along the way, they were joined by Annabeth, who took every chance she could to glare at Percy as though it was his fault and Grover, the satyr. The Big House was silent, which was normal for this time of day, but to Percy and the others, it was eery. It was as though the Big House itself was holding its breath.

Inside the infirmary, the group made their way through the beds. More campers had been brought in due to their injuries being more serious than a simple healing in the middle of the woods could take care of. A couple of these campers were the Ares' campers that Percy had creamed down by the river.

While Annabeth and Chiron stopped at the beds to check on the various campers, Percy walked directly to the one that held his half sister. Looking at her in the bed, she looked very small, and it was obvious to Percy that she was either severely mistreated or she was younger than him. He seriously hoped it was the second option. He noticed that even in bed, she still wore a necklace with various charms on it, a black ring with blue gems and a bracelet with a carving of an owl's face in it.

As he thought about the bracelet and its odd design, a pecking sound came from the window. All talking ceased at the sound, Annabeth, Chiron and the Apollo campers that were doing last minute checks instantly began to look around for the source. Percy turned towards the window, and spotted a snowy white owl trying its hardest to get in.

"Let the owl in Percy, quickly," Chiron called once he spotted the source of the sound.

Nobody would dare to ignore or harm a symbol of one of the gods. As soon as the window was open, the owl flew immediately over to Ari's bed and landed on the headboard. Percy went to remove the bird, but his arm was grabbed. He looked at the source of the hand and was met by the angry glare of a furious Annabeth.

"Don't touch her."

"Why? It's just an owl."

Chiron shook his head at the boy's ignorance, "The owl is a symbol of Lady Athena, Ari's mother. Based on the owl's behavior, we can assume that the owl was sent to look after Ari."

"That and the fact that there is a note tied to the owl's leg," Annabeth added.

"So, we just leave it?" Percy asked as though to make certain that he heard correctly.

The other two simply nodded.

"Now, the two of you need to get to bed. Percy over by the door you will find your belongings from Hermes' cabin; Luke dropped them off. I will escort you to Cabin 3, and you can get settled for the night."

With that said, the group made their way out of the Big House, Percy grabbed his stuff as they left the infirmary and headed towards the cabins. Once they reached the middle of the clearing of the cabins, Annabeth split off to head towards Cabin 6. Percy and Chiron continued on their way to Cabin 3.

Arriving at the door, Chiron bid Percy entrance but remained outside the door himself. Percy looked around and was amazed how at home Ari had already made herself. From what he knew, she had arrived with her friend the same day he had. He could tell instantly which bed she had claimed for herself. He decided that he would take a bed on the opposite end of the cabin. They could see later about maybe setting up something to help with the privacy issue.

He wasn't even going to go near the study corner in the back of the room. Just thinking about the books back there gave him a headache. He didn't know how Ari could stand it. It had to be a child of Athena thing because as far as he knew, and from what Annabeth had told him, all demigods were dyslexic.

"Ari and you will need to decide who is cabin counselor. By most accounts, it either goes to the oldest or the child who has been here the longest. Some cabins decide by a competition of sorts. It is up to you two. I would avoid bloodshed though," Chiron seemed to ramble as he looked around the cabin that just a week earlier had been completely empty.

"Anyways, good night."

That night, Ari was trapped in a nightmare. It started off as one of her normal ones about the Dursley's and Vernon's _lessons_ ; however, it soon transformed into something completely different.

Ari was in the dark and couldn't see two feet in front of her. This was not her normal dream. Suddenly, the dream grew cold and voices began to sound.

"Are you sure about this?" a female voice questioned from within the darkness.

"Of course I am. The Dark Lord left the item to us," a male voice replied with what could only be classified as a sneer.

"Exactly, he left it to us to _protect_."

"The Dark Lord is dead. All that remains are our memories of him, and the dark artifacts that he left in the hands of his most loyal servants. Surely, you can see that he would _want_ us to continue on his noble work."

"I don't think this is what he would have wanted. As far as the orders of 'protect this with your lives,' this isn't exactly doing that. Anything could happen once it leaves the mansion."

"You worry too much. We will be furthering the cause by getting rid of all of the mudbloods and blood traitors."

"Including Draco?"

The voice sneered, "Especially Draco. The boy did not return. You know what that means."

Silence was the answer.

"The boy has betrayed the cause. Someone helped him escape. I will have to contact Severus and see if he can find out who and how."

"Are you sure?"

Silence.

"Very well. For our master."

Ari felt cold dread fill her the longer that the conversation went on. Something was going to happen back in London, and it involved her mentor and her friend. She could hazard a guess as to who the 'Dark Lord' was, and it didn't make her feel any better.

Just as Ari was contemplating waking up, the scene shifted again. She was standing on a beach during a terrible storm. Based on the scenery, she guessed that she was either in Florida or somewhere in California. Looking around, she noticed that there was a city behind her, the palm trees were swaying and bending in the storm; most likely a hurricane. It was then that she turned her attention back in the direction of the ocean. Standing before her were three people. One, the closest one to her, was Percy. He didn't seem to have noticed her; his attention was completely on the other two beings who were arguing. She looked closer and discovered that she recognized the other two beings as well, though she had only seen them a handful of times. Standing in the surf arguing like a couple of kindergarteners were Poseidon and Zeus.

"Give it back!"

"I don't have it!"

"Give it back, or he pays!"

"You will not touch him!"

The arguing continued as the sky grew darker and the waves grew larger. Out of nowhere, a voice sounded. It was obvious to Ari that Percy heard it, but the gods did not.

"Come to me young godling. Come to me and bring forth the end of the gods!"

The sound of the voice sent a chill down Ari's spine and her blood seemed to run cold. The voice seemed to be coming from below the earth. It was a voice of pure evil.

"Ari, you need to come with me," a voice sounds from behind her.

Ari turned around and saw the figure of her older brother.

"Triton!"

Ari ran towards her brother, "What are you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrow at her, "I could ask you the same question. Come, let us talk somewhere else."

Without warning, the scenery around Ari shifted once more, and she quickly took it in. She was in a building that seemed to be under water. The walls were covered in various sea shells and coral. She realized that it was a bedroom because of the coral bed with a soft seafoam canopy hanging around it.

Triton chuckled at his sister as she took in the room

"Do you like it?"

Ari could do nothing except nod as she continued to look around. The room contained three doors. If she had to guess, one led to a bathroom, one led to a closet and one led out of the room.

"Good, it's yours."

That grabbed Ari's attention as she sent a questioning look at her brother.

"Oh, don't give me that look. Did you honestly expect that dad wouldn't set up somewhere for you to sleep when you come to visit?"

Ari blushed.

"No, he has been working on this pretty much since the day after you revealed yourself to the gods."

"I didn't know," Ari whispered.

Triton chuckled again, "That's kind of the point. It was supposed to be a surprise. Now, if you will follow me-" He began walking over towards one of the doors. "We need to talk, and I would prefer to be sitting down."

Ari followed Triton out of the bedroom to find herself, not in a hallway but in a small sitting room. The room had numerous couches and chairs and a fireplace. The design theme matched that of the bedroom. Ari had to wonder exactly how big her _bedroom_ was.

"Your room consists of a bedroom, bathroom, closet, sitting room, office, and small library," Triton mentioned off handedly. "So, basically, it's a suite."

"Why would I need all of this?"

"Personal space and privacy mostly. Now, sit. We need to talk and don't have much time."

Ari did as beckoned because her brother had suddenly gone very serious.

"First, I should warn you. In the future, you should be more careful about whose dreams you slip into."

At Ari's confused look, he decided to explain.

"You are a child of the sea, Ari. That means that like your emotions, your mind also has a tendency to wander and change. Just like the sea. They do not remain still and are always changing."

"So, I slipped into Percy's dream."

Triton nodded, "Yes. Something called you to that dream. Sometime in the future I will help you learn how to control it. Though, that might be a bit difficult considering the circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

Triton gave her an _are you serious_ look.

"Ari, Hecate turned you mortal."

"I know that," Ari interrupted.

"When she did that, she basically turned you into an overly powerful demigod."

Ari nodded, she knew all that from Severus.

"This means you have all the weaknesses and strengths of a demigod: strong scent, weakened powers, survival instincts, rashness and demigod dreams. The only things that you seem to not suffer from are ADHD and dyslexia."

Ari blushed before catching one word, "Rashness?"

Triton glared at his sister, "Yes, and that is one trait that your mother and I both wish you had been spared. For crying out loud, what were you thinking?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What am I-What am I talking about?! Ari, you nearly got killed at school because you didn't use the brain that your mother gifted you with to go get help from Severus. You furthermore dragged your friends along on your fool's quest. Just today, you acted rashly in stepping in front of the hellhound that was after Perseus! For crying out loud, YOU ARE MORTAL! Do you realize how scared we all were when Severus gave us the news that you were in the hospital unconscious because you went after a dangerous adult who worked for the man that tried to kill you as an infant?"

Ari was shocked. She didn't realize that she had scared her family that much.

"Sorry," she whispered. She couldn't think of anything else to say.

Triton sighed, "Don't, Ari. I'm not mad at you, but you have to understand, if something happens to you, none of us will ever be able to forgive ourselves if there was someway we could have stopped it. That's not even taking into consideration how Lady Athena and dad would react due to being the ones that had you turned mortal to begin with."

Ari nodded again. She didn't know how else to respond.

Triton decided to take pity on his sister, "Now, back to the matter at hand."

"Triton, why are dad and Lord Zeus arguing?" Ari questioned.

Triton sighed, "They are having a disagreement over something that has been stolen."

"What's been stolen?"

"Can you not guess?" Triton questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Ari thought long and hard, "It has to be something important, and based on how he is acting, I have to guess it was something belonging to Lord Zeus."

Triton nodded.

"I really don't know many items that belong to the gods except for their symbols of power, and the only item for Lord Zeus that I can come up with is the lightning bolt."

Ari's eyes widened and looked up at Triton, "Somebody wasn't stupid enough to take Lord Zeus' lightning bolt, were they?"

Triton only had to nod to give Ari her answer.

"Well, that explains a few things. Somebody clearly has a deathwish," Ari suddenly remembered that she had had this exact same conversation with Severus on Christmas.

"You already knew, didn't you?"

Ari nodded and blushed, "I had forgot."

"It's understandable with what has happened since then. Now, Ari, dad is going to give Perseus a quest tomorrow. More than likely, he is going to ask you to join as one of his two companions; you must say no."

"Why would dad give Percy a quest, and why can't I go?"

"Dad doesn't want to risk two of his children on this quest because Uncle Zeus is being unreasonable."

Ari's eyes widened at her hunch about Percy being confirmed but shoved it off for now, "Isn't it my choice?"

Triton shook his head, "Ari, you really don't have a choice in this."

"And why don't I?" Ari asked starting to become incredulous at the thought that she doesn't have a choice.

"Consider this your summons to Olympus."

"Are you just saying this to get me to not go on the quest?"

Triton shook his head again, "No, dad was going to summon you in the morning, but I will tell him I took care of it. You are to report to Olympus tomorrow after Perseus leaves on his quest. The gods wish to meet with you and discuss some stuff."

Ari sighed, there was no way out of this then. A random thought occurred to her.

"Triton, why do you call Percy, Perseus? Surely, you know that he prefers his nickname."

Triton aimed a glare off to the side. He wouldn't glare at Ari because it wasn't her fault.

"Triton?"

"I call him Perseus because that is his name."

"You don't like him do you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because of what he represents."

"Which is?"

"My father cheating on mother, again."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Ari turned pale. Did that mean that he didn't like her? But surely, the he wouldn't have come to her games, continued to talk to her, or given her the conch if he didn't at least care a little bit.

"Ari."

Silence.

"Ari."

Ari looked up at Triton with confusion and tears in her eyes.

Triton sighed; he had really put his foot in his mouth.

"Ari, I'm sorry. I should have worded that better."

"How else could you have worded it?" Ari whispered.

Triton moved over towards his sister and pulled her to him in a hug. She flinched, but he didn't let go.

"I don't hate you Ari. While, I am mad at dad, I do not blame you."

"But, you blame Percy?"

Triton thought for a minute, did he blame Percy?

"No, not really."

"But, you still don't like him."

"You have to understand Ari. I have lived through seeing hundreds of father's demigod children, and while some become true heroes, many more of them have little respect for the gods. Many of them were ignorant, arrogant, conceited, and disrespectful."

"But, you haven't even given Percy a chance."

Triton sighed, he seemed to be doing that a lot, "To be honest with you, Ari. I don't like what he represents for Olympus."

"Which is?"

"Trouble."

Ari sent him a questioning look, but he only shook his head.

"I can't tell you Ari. However, if I am right, you will learn soon enough though I hope you don't."

Ari decided to let the topic drop for now.

"If it was the choice between your survival or his, I would choose you every time. You are my first human little sister."

Ari smiled at her brother who was still holding her. As she thought about everything that had been said so far, she realized that she had acted rashly. She was about to apologize again when she began to feel weird, and the scenery began to change again.

"Ari!" Triton's voice reached her as he tried to pull her back to him.

Triton watched as his sister began to fade from his arms and the dream. However, he knew that she wasn't waking up. She was being pulled into another dream.

"Ari, remember you _can_ be hurt in your dreams. Be careful."

He wasn't certain if she heard him. He just had to hope that she did.

Ari watched as the last images of the underwater room faded from her sight and to replace it was a dark and cold cavern. She knew that Triton had said something, but she wasn't sure what. Looking around she noticed that she was standing on the edge of a very dark pit. She couldn't even see the bottom of it. Instinctively, she began to back away.

"Aww, don't run away from me, little goddess. Don't you want to say hello to your family?"

"You are no family of mine," Ari responded.

The evil voice at the bottom of the pit chuckled.

"Oh, but I am. After all, without me, you wouldn't have your father or your mother as I am their father and grandfather."

Ari's eyes widened. She needed to get away from here. She went to back away but found that she couldn't move.

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. I need you to release me"

Ari noticed that the spirits of the dead were trying to pull her away from the pit and failing that some were running off, hopefully to find help.

"Why would I release you?"

"To get revenge on your parents of course."

Ari looked at the pit like it was nuts. Before she could respond however, she felt another powerful presence coming up behind her.

"Ari!"

Ari turned around to see Hades running towards her.

'How many gods am I going to see tonight?' she idly thought to herself.

Hades' eyes widened as he took in the situation. He could tell that his niece wasn't really there, but she was still stuck none the less.

"Let her go!"

The evil voice chuckled again.

"Now, where would the fun in that be, son? However, I think I have proven my point. I will give the child time to think upon my offer. We will talk again, young goddess."

With that, Ari felt the force that was holding her in place remove itself. Seconds later, she was being pulled backwards by her uncle.

"Are you alright?" he questioned looking her over.

Ari nodded, "Was that who I think it was?"

Hades simply nodded.

"You need to wake up child. Your dreams have taken a dangerous turn, and I fear what other trouble you will get into if you don't wake up now."

"I can't exactly force myself awake."

Hades looked at her before flashing a crooked grin and whispering softly in her ear, "Awaken."

With that single word, Ari felt the scene shifting once more, but this time, she was opening her eyes to see the inside of the infirmary.

With a groan, she began to sit up.

"Don't move, Ari," a voice came from the left side of her.

Ari looked over to see Lee Fletcher making his way over to her. Ari took a quick look around and saw that besides herself there were five other campers.

" _Nice to see you awake, M'lady."_

"Hedwig! What are you doing here?"

" _Grumpy man from school sent me with a letter for you."_

Ari nodded and took the letter quickly from Hedwig. She would read it later.

As soon as he reached her, Lee helped her sit up and began to check her wounds. Within a few minutes, he declared her fit. He was a bit confused as to how she had healed so fast, but figured it had to do with her heritage.

Ari made her way out of the Big House to find that a storm was about to hit the camp. Looking around, she noticed that Chiron was already talking to Percy and Grover. She noticed that Annabeth was hiding in the shadows listening in. Ari made her way over to the group just in time to hear Percy accept the quest and Grover's companionship.

"Now, you may take one more person."

"Ari."

Chiron turned around to see Ari coming towards them. He began to fidget.

"I don't think that is such a good idea, Percy. Perhaps a camper from another cabin."

"I want Ari to come with me and Grover."

Chiron looked to be trying to come up with a reason to keep Ari in camp. Ari decided to go ahead and help him.

"I can't Percy."

"Why not?"

"The gods have seen fit to summon me to Olympus."

Chiron's eyes widened, "We will get you there as soon as the quest departs."

Ari nodded.

Chiron turned his attention back to Percy, "I have a person in mind if you are willing to accept her companionship."

"Who?"

Annabeth appeared from the shadows of the Big House, "Me, kelp head. If a son of Poseidon is going to lead a quest, then it is up to a daughter of Athena to keep him from messing it up."

Percy smiled, "You're on." He turned back towards Chiron. "There's your trio."

Chiron nodded, "Go get packed. We will give you a ride as far as the bus terminal. From there, you are on your own."

Percy nodded and headed back towards Cabin 3. Ari followed. Once inside, Ari noticed that Percy had chosen a bed but hadn't done much else.

"You know, you can make yourself at home. This is your cabin too."

Percy smiled at his half-sister.

"I know. I just wanted to talk to you before I started claiming stuff. But, I guess it is going to have to wait until after the quest now."

The duo continued to pack, one for a quest and one for a summons, in silence for the next couple of minutes. Finally, Percy's ADHD got the better of him.

"Chiron says we need to choose a counselor."

Ari raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you want it? I'm pretty sure you are older than I am."

"But you've been here longer."

Ari rolled her eyes.

"By only a day. And not a full one at that."

"Then, how do we decide?"

"I don't know."

"It would be simpler if we just worked together."

"Like co-counselors?"

"Sure, whatever you want to call it."

"That might work. After all, it is just the two of us. However, if more sea spawns show up we will have to pick a counselor."

Percy nodded.

"We can tell Chiron when we go to meet him."

At that moment, there was a knocking at the door. Percy went to answer and found Luke there standing with an armful of supplies. After talking with Luke for a minutes, Percy came back inside to finish packing his bag. It only took about another ten minutes before both of them were finished and they were on their way to the tree on the hill.

Once there, they were greeted by Annabeth, Grover, and Chiron.

"Now, you three know your destination, and you know the rules. Before you go though, Percy you will be needing this."

Chiron handed Percy a small object. It took a moment for Ari to recognize it as a pen.

"This is a pen," Percy exclaimed stating the obvious.

Chiron nodded, and Ari smirked. She had a feeling she knew what it was. It was similar to her ring.

"It's a _pen_!" Percy restated when he thought that nobody understood what he was saying.

"Uncap it, Percy."

Percy did so and sure enough, the pen elongated into a sword made of celestial bronze. Engraved on the sword was the word Anaklusmos.

"You will need that on your quest but be warned. Celestial bronze kills monsters but is useless against mortals. What's more, you as a demigod can be killed by both celestial bronze and mortal weapons."

Percy nodded. Before he, Annabeth and Grover could head down the hill to the waiting van, Luke came running over.

"Glad I could catch you," he gasped. "Here."

He handed Percy a pair of winged running shoes.

"They were a gift from my father," he said this with a barely concealed snarl on his face. "Thought they might give you luck."

Ari didn't know why, but she didn't trust Luke or his gift. However, she saw that Percy was grateful, so she kept her mouth shut.

With his purpose accomplished, Luke headed back towards the camp. Percy looked at the shoes in his hands and then over at Chiron.

"I can't wear them, can I?"

Chiron gave him a sad smile, and he had his answer. Percy looked over at Grover and handed them to the satyr.

"Here, you deserve a magical item too."

To say that Grover was thankful would be an understatement. He could barely get a full sentence out in thanks as Percy helped him to put them on.

"Now, I believe it is time for you three to leave."

Chiron escorted the group to the bottom of the hill and helped them get situated into the van before coming back up the hill and looking at Ari.

"Now, I believe that you have a summons."

Ari nodded.

"You are heading to Mt. Olympus."

Ari nodded again.

"You will need to make your way then to the Empire State Building. Once there, talk to the receptionist. You need the card to gain access to the 600th floor. From there, it is self explanatory."

Ari nodded, those directions were pretty straight forward.

"Unfortunately, we don't have another van to get you there. You will have to travel on yo-"

He was cut off by the appearance of a twelve year old girl at the edge of the woods past the bottom of the hill.

"Nevermind. Come with me."

Ari followed Chiron wondering what was going on. As they reached the edge of the woods, she spotted the young girl and about fifteen others hidden in the trees.

"Lady Artemis, to what do we owe the honor?" Chiron asked as he bowed to the goddess.

Ari quickly bowed her head too.

Artemis chuckled.

"Rise Chiron, Ari. As for my purpose, I am here to escort Ari to Olympus. Father wants to make sure that she arrives safely."

Chiron smiled at the goddess.

"Then, my lady, I leave her the capable hands of yourself and your hunters." He turned towards Ari. "Be safe, child."

With that, Chiron made his way back to camp, and Ari followed Lady Artemis further into the woods.


	19. Chapter 18

**Please enjoy.**

 **Chapter 18**

Ari followed Lady Artemis deeper into the woods. It wasn't until they came to a clearing that their silent shadows decided to fully reveal themselves. Fifteen girls walked calmly out of the woods, making their way over to Ari and Lady Artemis. Lady Artemis smiled as she watched the girls approach.

One girl, who wore a silver circlet on her head, walked a bit ahead of the others. She continuously kept her eyes on Ari and was looking her over as though to decide how big of a threat the eleven year old girl was.

"My Lady, this is the girl?" the girl inquired once she seemed to have determined that Ari wasn't a direct threat to her mistress or her sisters.

Lady Artemis nodded, "Yes, Zoe. This is Ari."

At having this confirmed, the girls all lowered into a small bow before Ari. To say that she was speechless was an understatement. Artemis couldn't help but chuckle at Ari's reaction to the bowing.

"They show you their respect, Ari."

"Why?" Ari questioned looking at Artemis.

A couple of the hunters giggled at Ari.

"Because, it is your right to be respected, Ari. However, we will get nowhere if we don't move along. Rise girls."

The small group of girls rose at their mistress' bidding.

"Now, we make our way to Mt. Olympus."

The group began to walk, and as they did so, the girls decided to try and make Ari feel more at ease with them.

"You don't have to fear us, Lady Ari. You are considered a sister among us," a ginger girl stated calmly.

"Phoebe is correct. All maidens are welcome among us. Lady Artemis has told us about thee since thou were revealed to the gods. We have been eager to meet thee," Zoe encouraged.

Ari nodded, "Why do you call me Lady?"

The girls stopped and looked at her before turning to Lady Artemis.

"Does she not know, my lady?"

"Surely she knows who her parents are."

Lady Artemis held up her hand to calm the fears of her girls.

"Yes, she knows who her parents are girls. But, you have to remember that she was raised as a mortal. And by cruel mortals at that."

Ari flinched at the mention of the Dursleys. The girls all scowled catching the movement.

"Ari, you are called Lady for the same reason that the girls bowed, because it is your right. You were born a goddess and though you are mortal many will still respect your status. Of course, there are many who will not respect your status and will challenge you."

Ari frowned, "And if I don't want people to call me Lady, Miss, or some variation of the two?"

Zoe looked at the eleven year old girl walking beside her.

"Why would thou not want that, Lady Ari?"

Ari's frown turned into a full out glare.

"Maybe because I grew up believing that I was normal. Actually, I grew up believing that I was freak, but that is beside the point," Ari replied the last part was said under her breath but some of the hunters and Artemis heard it.

"Be that as it may Ari. You need to get used to it. Your parents will accept nothing less than you receiving the respect that you are owed," Artemis commented as she looked at the girl, who released a slightly low sigh before she nodded in understanding of what Artemis meant.

It was a half hour later that the group was exiting the woods into the heart of a park in the middle of New York City. Ari had no idea how they had managed that, but she figured it had something to do with the goddess that the group was traveling with.

"Come, we need to hurry," Artemis said, with everyone speeding up their pace.

The group quickly made their way down the streets of downtown. Ari was amazed at the size of the buildings. She had only been to London once and that was to catch the train to school last September.

If it wasn't for the hunters and Artemis, Ari was certain that she would have been lost in the city ten times over, at least. It wasn't long before they were being led into one of the tall skyscrapers, the Empire State Building according to the sign.

Artemis walked straight past the receptionist who just bowed as the goddess passed him. The group of girls walked into the elevator, and Artemis swiped a card. Idly, Ari wandered who had picked the horrible elevator music and if it could be changed. Ari watched as a new button appeared labeled 600. Artemis pushed the button, and the elevator started moving.

It didn't take long for the elevator to stop again, and Artemis led the group out. The sight before her had Ari gaping, and she knew for a fact that her mouth was hanging open. Behind her, Ari could hear the hunters giggling from her actions.

"Come, Ari. The council awaits," Artemis said with amusement in her eyes.

Ari could do nothing but follow as her eyes took in all that was presented to them. They walked down the path that was surrounded by temples, and palaces. All of the buildings had a mixture of Greek, Roman, and European architecture. Ari could easily tell that the gods had lived and learned much as they followed the Western Civilization. Nymphs and Satyrs were running around as were numerous minor gods and nature spirits.

As the group made their way through the marketplace, many stopped and gave a small bow in the direction of Artemis. As they rose and moved to continue on their way, they spotted Ari and would give a small bow to her as well. Though still uncomfortable with all of the attention, Ari kept Artemis' earlier words in mind and gave a small nod. It must have been the correct thing to do because Artemis rewarded her with a smile.

It wasn't long before they were walking through a residential section even more grand than the first. The palaces in this area were much larger and finely decorated.

"These are the palaces and temples of the Olympians plus Hestia," Artemis explained as the group continued to walk. "Poseidon doesn't have a palace on Olympus because he lives in Atlantis most of the time. However, he does have a set of suites with guest rooms in the main building."

"The main building, which is Lord Zeus' palace, contains the Council Hall, the main library, a common kitchen, Lord Zeus and Lady Hera's living quarters, which take up an entire wing, and guest quarters," Zoe added.

"The palace is quite large and was built to resemble the original one on Mt. Olympus," Phoebe added.

It didn't take long before they arrived at their topic of conversation. Ari was amazed by the beauty of the building. It was a majestic building made entirely out of marble. The pillars in the front were clearly of Greek design. The carvings depicted the stories of legend; both Greek and Roman. Ari looked back down the hill that they had walked up and marveled at the view. You could see the entirety of Olympus from just here on the front steps let alone from one of the windows on the higher floors.

Artemis watched as Ari's face lit up in wonder. She didn't blame the child for getting distracted by the scenery; she herself wished on occasion that she could see this place as though for the first time again. However, after five minutes, she knew that they needed to get inside. The gods were no doubt watching as young Perseus' quest unfolded, and she didn't want to miss too much of the boy making a fool of himself.

"We need to go inside Ari. Don't worry, you are here until the solstice ends," Artemis called pulling Ari out of her thoughts.

Ari was a bit disappointed that she couldn't stay here and think for a little bit longer; however, she knew that Artemis was correct. So, with a sigh of resignation, Ari followed Artemis into the palace and down the hallway. They stopped in front of two large gold doors, and Artemis turned to address the girls with her.

"Ari, my girls already know what is expected of them, but I will explain this to you since you have only met the council through Iris Message before now. When we enter, I will go to my throne; you will enter with the hunters. Bow before Lord Zeus. When he acknowledges you, bow before your parents."

"They aren't seated next to each other, are they?" Ari questioned wondering how to do that.

Artemis blushed at her mistake.

"No, Ari. You will stand, bow to your father then your mother. After that, you should be fine."

Ari nodded her understanding, and Lady Artemis entered. Ari waited until she received a sign from Zoe, who knew what to wait for, before entering with the hunters. As soon as the doors opened for the group, all talking inside the chambers ceased. The hunters and Ari approached the center thrones and bowed. As they did this, Ari noticed that the gods and their thrones were shrunk down to human size. Probably because of the mortal amongst them. It wasn't long before Lord Zeus bid them to rise.

The hunters as one moved and bowed before their mistress.

"Rise, my hunters."

Ari moved to bow before her father but was stopped.

"You don't need to bow to me, daughter. Respect is nice, but if we adhere to all formalities, we will never accomplish anything. Go show respect to your mother so that we might continue."

Ari nodded and moved to bow to her mother; however, she was stopped again.

"I believe that, for once, your father speaks sense," Athena declared with a grimace on her face as though she couldn't believe she had just said that. A few chuckles could be heard from a few of the younger male gods. They quickly quieted down; however, when Ari's mother gave them the famous Athena stare, "Let us continue with the council."

The other gods nodded in agreement. Artemis summoned some couches for her hunters so that they weren't stuck standing, and Athena did the same for Ari. Ari decided that she didn't want to cause a fight between her parents, so she moved her seat to sit next to the hunters. They, of course, welcomed her to join them.

After everybody was in their seats, Zeus summoned an Iris Message, like the one that the gods used to watch Ari that first day. Inside the message, they watched as Percy, Annabeth and Grover played hacky sack with with an apple.

"Their bus must not have arrived yet," Poseidon pointed out as he watched his son with a small smile upon his face.

"That is obvious, Kelp-for-brains," Athena snapped as she glared at the god of the seas. She didn't want her daughter on this quest. She didn't want Annabeth on any quest let alone one with a sea spawn in charge.

Ari watched her parents in amazement. She had heard, repeatedly, that her parents argued. She just never thought of how much and about what.

The other gods watched the mortal goddess with amusement.

"I think you two should watch who you are arguing in front of. After all, you don't want to set a bad example for your _daughter_ , do you?" Hera spoke up. She put an emphasis on daughter to remind the two rivals that they now had a reason to at least be civil with each other.

This reminder brought both gods back to the present as they both snapped to look over at Ari.

"Ari, you really shouldn't-"

"Arguing never-"

"Just because your father and I-"

The two continued to try and talk over one another. The other gods and the hunters began to laugh as Ari watched her parents go back and forth over one another. Zeus finally got tired of the pseudo-argument and ordered for silence.

"Talking over one another will not help the matter!" He yelled before turning to Ari. "What your parents are trying and failing to tell you is that you shouldn't follow their example on some things. Such as how to interact with other individuals."

"You shouldn't follow any male gods' behavior towards their significant other," Hera added.

"Never follow a male's example in how to treat a woman," Artemis interjected.

The advice continued on, it brought a smile to her face listening to her family, but after awhile, she found herself glancing back to Iris Message and just in time to watch Grover swallow the apple.

Ari started laughing, and the gods stopped spurting out advice to look at the eleven year old.

"What are you laughing at?" Ares' demanded.

Ari stopped laughing to look at the gods.

"Sorry, I was watching the quest. Grover kind of ate their hacky sack."

This gained a chuckle out of Poseidon while Hermes and Apollo burst out laughing.

The entire group turned back towards the message to watch as the trio boarded the bus. Within minutes, Poseidon was letting out a string of cusses in English, Greek, Latin and a few other languages that Ari couldn't quite pin down. The reason for the language was obvious as the three Furies boarded the bus and effectively blocked the trio from escaping.

"Poseidon!" Hera scolded. "Did we not just discuss being a better role model for your daughter?!"

Poseidon blushed at being scolded like a little child. Ari; however, was wondering just how many swear words she was going to learn during her stay here. It then struck her that she had understood as her father had cursed in three different languages. Weird.

The group watched as the questing trio whispered among themselves about the three Furies. It didn't take long for something to happen. Annabeth seemed to be trying to take charge as she handed Percy something and urged him to go.

"Where does she expect him to go? They're on a moving bus going 60 down the interstate!" Hermes exclaimed as he leaned forward to watch the action that was bound to start soon.

Annabeth seemed to win the argument as Percy put on, what was now identified as a ball cap, and turned invisible.

"Annabeth has an item similar to my cloak?" Ari questioned.

"I gave it to her when she ran away and started making her way to camp. It was my way of trying to keep her safe," Athena explained to her daughter.

Ari nodded.

Though they could no longer see Percy, they were able to see what he was doing. Athena and Ari began to get nervous as the three Furies closed in on Annabeth and Grover. That nervousness only increased as the bus began to swerve like mad going down the interstate.

"What is that boy of yours doing, Poseidon?" Athena shouted.

"Saving your daughter's life!"

"More like trying to get them killed!"

"Enough! The only thing that matters is Poseidon's son returning my bolt."

Athena and Poseidon both turned to glare at Zeus.

"If something happens to my son, I will hold you responsible, brother," Poseidon spat. Athena nodded in agreement; however, nobody wanted to point this out and get on her bad side.

Percy must have decided that he was tired of swerving the bus through three lanes of traffic and pulled on the emergency brake. The bus driver was a definite coward as he ran off the bus before making sure that his passengers reached safety.

Meanwhile, the fight was in full swing as the Furies used their whips to try and get Annabeth's knife away from her. Luckily, she had more than half a week of training and was able to maintain a hold on her knife. Grover, on the other hand, somehow decided that it would be a good idea to grab a whip that was on fire with his bare hands.

Dionysus shook his head. He cared about his satyrs, don't get him wrong, but they weren't the smartest creatures in the bunch.

It didn't take long to witness Percy's next act of rashness as he pulled off the cap and charged straight into the fray. All of the beings in the fight were yelling in Greek, but Ari was able to catch the majority of it.

Apparently, Percy had angered the gods. Though, this was a given seeing as how Zeus thought Percy had stolen the lightning bolt. But wait, didn't the Furies work for-

"Lord Zeus-"

Zeus turned towards the sole mortal in the room, "What is it child?"

"You didn't send the Furies did you?"

Zeus shook his head, "No, I didn't. They don't answer to me."

Athena seemed to catch on a bit.

"Why would they be after Perseus then?"

"Who are we to try and understand what drives your uncle?"

"But, sir-"

Everybody turned back to Ari.

"The Furies are looking for something, and if it isn't your bolt, then-"

The gods' eyes widened.

"Somebody has stolen something from Hades," Poseidon answered.

The gods began talking in such rapid Greek that Ari had no chance of keeping up. She only caught the words helm, stolen, and thief.

'Note to self, add more language lessons with Severus,' Ari thought to herself.

The gods seemed to have forgotten that the young mortal was present, so she went back to watching the fight. Percy had finally decided to draw his sword. Annabeth and Grover were behind the Furies waiting to find an opening, and all three of the Furies had their full attention on Percy.

"Give it to us, Perseus, and Lord Hades may show you mercy," one of the Furies spat as she tried to find a way to reach Percy without getting speared by the sword in his hand.

It almost looked like a dance as each one tried to find a weakness in his/her opponent. Getting tired of the stalemate, one of the Furies made her move and lunged at Percy. At that same moment, Annabeth leapt on the back of the Fury in front of her, and Grover began throwing tin cans at the third.

The fight didn't last long before the Fury that Percy was fighting dissolved into a shower of dust. At that same moment, Annabeth was able to defeat hers as well. Both ran to assist Grover in getting rid of his, but before they could, thunder seemed to sound from nowhere.

Ari looked behind her just in time to notice that her father and uncle were fighting again, and it seemed to be getting very heated very quickly. They had already grown to their full 10 foot height. She also noticed, that about half of the council had moved themselves to stand between Ari and the fighting gods. The hunters had moved to stand beside Ari without her realizing it and had been watching the quest with her for the past couple of minutes.

"He did not take anything!"

"Your son is the thief, and he will return what is mine!"

Ari watched as they both drew their weapons. Very quickly, Zoe pulled her down and behind a pillar that was only few feet from them. It was a good thing because at almost the same moment that they reached cover, Zeus tried to blast Poseidon with one of his secondary bolts.

The council watched in shock as Poseidon blocked the bolt, and instead of dissipating, the bolt headed straight for the pillar that Ari and Zoe were behind. The bolt struck the pillar with such force that it cracked.

Very cautiously, Ari peaked out from behind the pillar with a scared look on her face. She looked at the shocked faces of the goddesses and the angry face of her mother. Athena looked like she was about to blast both Poseidon and Zeus to Tartarus; however, before she could, Zeus sent one more bolt down towards the Earth.

Having a bad feeling, Ari turned back to the message in time to see Annabeth, Percy, and Grover flee the bus right before it blew up thanks to Zeus' bolt.

The rest of the room had watched the scene, and once more, Poseidon turned to Zeus with his trident raised.

"You dare to attack my son while he is trying to retrieve your bolt!?" Poseidon demanded. "You do realize that he is the only chance of it being found, right?"

Zeus huffed, "It doesn't need to be found,because he has it. The boy just needs to return it."

"Excuse me father?" Athena piped up in a very calm quiet voice that Ari had a feeling meant trouble.

Apparently, this feeling was correct because many of the gods and goddesses began to back up slowly. Apollo made his way over to Ari and Zoe to check them over. Zeus didn't catch the danger signs.

"Yes, Athena."

"I just have one question for you and kelp head."

Both of the gods nodded, neither catching the head shaking of the others in the room. Apollo was for once serious as he checked over Ari first. Once he deemed that she was fine, he tried to check Zoe, but she stopped him.

"I am fine, Lord Apollo," Zoe whispered keeping her eyes on the fight. Her attention being elsewhere was probably the only reason that she said this without the usual distain.

"WHY THE HADES DID YOU TWO THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A FULL OUT BRAWL, LIKE CAVEMEN, IN THE THRONE ROOM WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE A _MORTAL_ VISITOR?! A MORTAL WHO HAPPENS TO BE _YOUR_ DAUGHTER, POSEIDON."

Zeus and Poseidon seemed to finally realize how much trouble they were in as they both simultaneously turned to look at Ari who was still standing part way behind the pillar. Poseidon went pale as he realized what could have just happened.

"Ari, are you ok?"

Ari nodded but didn't get a chance to actually respond before Athena was ranting again.

"Oh, so now you remember that our daughter is here and is completely mortal. You know, Poseidon, this is a new level of stupid even for you. I thought you wanted our daughter to reach her 18th birthday so that she could rejoin us permanently."

"I do."

"You don't act like it. Honestly, brawling with dad? If you are going to do that, take some swords and go the amphitheater for a few hours. Bash your heads in there but don't do it where our daughter can get hurt!"

At this point, Zeus had started chuckling under his breath at his brother getting ranted at by his daughter. Hera caught it however and laid into him.

"Don't laugh, Zeus. You are just as guilty as Poseidon. After all, you threw the bolt to begin with."

Zeus sobered up at the reminder. However, he wouldn't apologize here. He would make it up to Ari later. Both gods shrunk back down and everybody returned to their seats.

It looked like there wasn't going to be much to watch for a bit as far as the quest was concerned because the group was just walking through the woods. So, the gods broke off into groups to have conversations (arguments).

Hermes and Apollo sat next to each other and began to talk in hushed voices. Nobody really wanted to know what they were discussing. Artemis kept sending them suspicious looks as she moved over to talk to her hunters.

Zoe gave one last look to Ari before moving to join her sisters and mistress.

Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus were arguing over something. Ari had no idea what, but by the reactions of the other gods, it was completely normal.

Demeter walked over to the hearth and decided to have a nice calm conversation with her sister, Hestia. Dionysus had fallen asleep in his throne with a wine magazine over his head.

Athena and Poseidon made their way over to Ari. Though they didn't get along, they would at least try to be civil for Ari.

After a few minutes of standing there awkwardly, Poseidon couldn't take it anymore.

"So," he began. Athena rolled her eyes while Ari almost giggled. "How was the end of school, besides the obvious?"

School, that was a safe topic. Athena really couldn't yell at him about it because she wanted to know too. Ari smiled at her dad's attempt. The other conversations started to die down as they all listened for the child's response.

"It went well. My grades for first year are in my bag. Hufflepuff won the house cup in a four way tie breaker. Unfortunately, I missed the final game due to well…"

The gods nodded, yeah, they knew what had happened. Athena and Poseidon had been pissed.

"Go get your grades, Ari," Athena directed.

Ari walked over to where her seat was located and grabbed the bag that had been placed under it. As she made to move back to where her parents had been, she noticed that all of the gods had moved back to their thrones.

'Guess after so many centuries of the same arguments, they don't last as long anymore.'

Ari moved towards her mother's throne and handed her the sheet of parchment that contained her grades and the professors' comments.

 **Hogwarts End of Year Report**

 **Student: Ari Potter**

 **Year: First Year**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Dear Parents/ Guardians,**

 **Contained in these documents are your student's grades for their most recent year at Hogwarts. Please be aware that the grading system for years 1-4 is the same as those used to grade the 5th year students. This is done to help them understand where they would stand if they had just taken their OWLS.**

 **Grading Scale:**

 **O-outstanding**

 **E- Exceeds Expectations**

 **A- Acceptable**

 **P- Poor**

 **D- Dreadful**

 **T- Troll**

 **Please note, that with all passing grades,** _ **Ari Potter**_ **, is now considered a second year student. Her letter containing her school supplies list will arrive by owl in August.**

 **Enjoy your summer,**

 **Professor Minerva McGonagall**

 **Deputy Headmistress**

Athena, flipped over to the second document to look at the grades that her daughter had obtained. She passed the first sheet over to Poseidon.

 **Grades**

 **Student: Ari Potter**

 **Potions- O**

 **Transfiguration- O**

 **Herbology- O**

 **Flying- O**

 **Charms- O**

 **History of Magic- E**

 **Defense Against the Dark Arts- O**

 **Astronomy- O**

Overall, Athena was pleased with Ari's grades. However, History of Magic needed to be brought up. Once more, she passed that sheet over to Poseidon before turning to the third and final sheet. She would hold off on commenting until she had read everything.

 **Professor Comments**

 **Student: Ari Potter**

 **Potions- Professor Severus Snape**

 _ **My Ladies and Lords,**_

 _ **Ari has been most diligent in her studies this year. Both of Potions nature and elemental. She has private lessons with me three days a week. The other four days she has Quidditch practices. During her lessons, we take time for her to get any assistance that she needs on her homework. Lady Athena, I would recommend that you forgive the History of Magic grade. No student has been able to receive an O in that class in decades. Professor Binns makes it nearly impossible.**_

 _ **A portkey will be sent to pick up Ari and Mr. Malfoy on July 24th.**_

 **Transfiguration- Professor Minerva McGonagall**

 _ **Ari is a wonderful student who pays attention in class. I only worry that she is taking too much on for one so young. She has an aptitude for Transfiguration, and if she continues going as she did this year, she will have no issues passing her OWLS. I look forward to seeing her in September.**_

 **Herbology- Professor Pomona Sprout**

 _ **Ari is wonderful with the plants, and I have to wonder if she has had experience gardening before coming to Hogwarts. She already seems to know how to use the basic supplies and is seen helping those that are not quite certain what to do. Please be warned that the plants tended to in first year are the least dangerous of the plants we will be working with and are the closest to muggle plants. Please make sure she has the proper protective wear for the coming year.**_

 **Flying- Madam Rolanda Hooch**

 _ **Ari was excused from Flying after the first lesson due to showing an aptitude for flying. She is currently the seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Please be warned that in order to stay on the team, her grades must remain passing. I look forward to seeing her next year.**_

 **Charms- Professor Filius Flitwick**

 _ **Ari is a student not only in my class but also in my house. Therefore, it falls to me to discuss both. Ari is a very studious student and quick to pick up on the charms we are learning in class. I look forward to seeing her advance through the years.**_

 _ **Ari has not shown any issues with her housemates; however, I have had students come up to me throughout the year worried about how much work she is taking on. Please check with her and make sure that she is able to maintain the workload. The amount of work required for her classes will only increase the older she gets.**_

 _ **Finally, please try and get her to open up. As punishment for being out past curfew, Ari received a detention and points reduction. She also was grounded to the Ravenclaw table for an amount of time. During this time, she showed behavior that was most concerning for many of her teachers and her friends. Please, make sure that she is alright. I look forward to having Ari return in September.**_

 **History of Magic- Professor Cuthbert Binns**

 _ **Your student Abigail is doing fine. She turns in her essays and attends classes. Please warn Abigail that she should read up on the Goblin Wars as that will be the primary topic for second years. I look forward to seeing Abigail next year.**_

 **Defense Against the Dark Arts- Professor Quirinus Quirrell**

 _ **Miss Potter is a studious student. However, I have repeatedly had to repeat questions for her. She also seems to suffer from headaches. I recommend that this be looked at this summer.**_

 **Astronomy- Professor Aurora Sinistra**

 _ **Ari is a great student. She is one of the few that does not complain about being tired during our once a week night time lessons. She seems very interested in the stories behind the constellations. I recommend getting her some books so that she might do some individual studying during her free time.**_

 **Headmaster- Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore**

 _ **Ari Potter is a wonderful student. Please be aware that she was caught out past curfew once this year and was punished. You have also already been made aware of the incidents that occurred on October 31st and at the end of the school year. All of us here at Hogwarts look forward to seeing Ari in September.**_

 **Medical- Madam Poppy Pomfrey**

 _ **Miss Potter has been in my Hospital Wing numerous times. All of her injuries have been taken care of. Please keep an eye on Miss Potter's eating habits. Though she is now able to take in normal amounts of food, I am keeping an eye on her to try and get her back up to the appropriate weight for somebody her size. Please inform Miss Potter that I do not wish to see her quite so much in the future.**_

Having finished the final sheet, she once more passed it off to Poseidon before turning to Ari.

"Your grades are acceptable. However, I recommend that you do private studying for your history course."

Ari nodded, "It is nearly impossible to stay awake in Professor Binn's class. Honestly, I am surprised that the Headmaster hasn't retired him yet."

"Ari," Poseidon called. "Are you taking on too much trying to do your studies and your training with Severus."

Ari shook her head, "No, though I don't believe that I can take on too much more. All my evenings are completely full."

Poseidon nodded, but Athena shook her head.

"We will discuss that later, Ari. I want you to continue your non-magical studies. This summer, you will catch up to the year that you have missed."

Ari looked at Athena in shock. How did she expect Ari to be able to manage all of that? Poseidon seemed shocked as well.

"Athena, that might be a bit much. She is only eleven."

Athena glared at Poseidon, "The three of us, along with Severus, will discuss this later."

"I believe it is time for dinner. After all, Ari missed lunch traveling with the hunters," Hestia decided to interject to stop another fight from breaking out.

Sure enough, it was nearing six, and Ari had missed both breakfast and lunch. The group made their way to the kitchen where Demeter made a wonderful pasta.

They dug in, and half an hour later, they were all full and making their way back to the Council Hall. The first thing that most of them did was look at the message to see if the children were still wandering aimlessly through the forest. They weren't.

The trio was seated at what looked like a bar while a veiled woman cooked them food on the grill. They were whispering amongst themselves. Annabeth seemed to be getting a bad feeling about the lady whereas Percy was telling her to stop worrying.

"He really should listen to the girl," Dionysus mentioned.

"Are you actually paying attention now?" Athena questioned.

"I have been paying attention the whole time. I can multitask."

The veiled lady turned back to the trio with a tray full of food. Greasy burgers, large french fries, extra large sodas, and cookies. It was a demigod's dream meal after being stuck on rabbit food and lean meat for who knows how long.

"That is not food," Demeter huffed.

"They should leave," Zoe whispered from beside Ari.

Ari turned to look at her with a questioning look. Zoe caught the look and explained.

"The satyr is acting extremely nervous. He smells a monster if the way his eyes are moving is any indication. The only person close by is-"

"The woman," Ari interrupted catching on. Zoe nodded.

They turned back to watch as the trio sat themselves on a bench for what looked to be a picture.

"There's no camera," Ari observed.

The gods didn't respond; they were too busy looking at the statues scattered around the trio.

"Statues?" Hermes questioned. "Who do we know that enjoys creepy statues?"

Poseidon's eyes went wide at the same time that Athena paled, "MEDUSA!"

Sure enough, the lady removed her veil to reveal a snake faced woman. At the same moment that Annabeth pushed Grover and Percy off the bench, Zoe pushed Ari.

"Do not look Ari," Zoe explained as her own eyes were closed.

"Why?" Ari questioned not moving. "Surely, we are safe since we are here and not there."

Ari felt Zoe shake her head, "The power does not work that way. The gaze turns anybody that meets it to stone. It does not matter if it is in person or through a message. The only ones immune are the gods."

Ari could do nothing but listen to the fight that ensued over the message. By the sounds of it, Annabeth was trying to talk Percy through the fight while Medusa was trying to get him to meet her gaze.

Poseidon was livid. Of all the monsters that Percy had to meet up with, it had to be Medusa. As soon as the monster had begun to remove her veil, he had turned to Ari to make sure that she wasn't watching any longer. However, he found that the hunter, Zoe, had already taken care of it. He turned back to watch the fight that his son was in the middle of.

Athena was none too happy. She had realized too late who the monster that her daughter was with was. Of course, it had to be a monster that she herself had created and therefore had a major grudge against any of her children. She was just glad that Annabeth had caught the warning signs eventually and was able to avoid the gaze. Athena turned to look at Ari and noticed that she had already been forced to avert her gaze.

'Good, now if Annabeth can get out of there.'

The gods watched anxiously as Percy tried to fight with his eyes closed; however, that was very difficult. Grover was doing better having landed a couple of hits on the monster using a broken tree branch and some flying shoes.

"How did he get a pair of my shoes?" Hermes questioned recognizing them.

"Is now _really_ the time, Hermes?" Athena snapped.

"He got them from Percy who got them from Luke," Ari responded from her spot on the ground. She had sat up, but her eyes were still closed.

Hermes nodded with a frown. He knew that Luke was not happy with him, but he couldn't do anything about it.

Annabeth appeared before Percy with a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. Percy had no idea what it was going to be used for.

"A polished shield would be better," She muttered while studying the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of—"

Athena and Ari nodded. They understood where Annabeth was going with this.

"Would you speak English?" Percy and Poseidon questioned.

"She is," Athena snapped.

"I am," Annabeth snapped.

Hermes and Apollo laughed while Ari just shook her head, "Like mother like daughter."

"Shut up!" Athena turned her glare on the two immature gods.

"Use the globe to view a distorted view of Medusa. You can use it to see as you fight."

"Why don't you use it then?" Percy questioned taking hold of the globe.

Annabeth shook her head, "She won't let me near her because of my mother. But you can, it seems she still has feelings for your dad."

Percy just nodded. Now was really not the time for a history lesson.

"He has no idea what she is talking about," Hermes chuckled.

"Stupid boys," Artemis huffed.

Percy uncapped his sword and moved closer to Medusa. As he did this, Medusa didn't attack him, and Poseidon got more worried. It became obvious to all that Medusa did still harbor feelings for the sea god. She seemed to be trying to sweet talk Percy, and she never noticed the sword that was at his side.

"You don't want to fight me, young demigod. You don't want to be a tool for the gods. They don't care about you just like they don't care about me. Being a statue would be a blessing compared to what will happen should you reach your 16th year."

The gods started muttering. It was too soon for the boy to find out about the prophecy. Ari was just confused. This was the second time that somebody had made reference to something bad happening.

"Don't listen to her Percy," the gods, hunters and Ari heard Annabeth shout.

"No!" Medusa shouted.

Ari wasn't quite certain what happened. However, Percy must have killed Medusa because the next thing she heard was Annabeth asking if Percy was alright.

"You can open your eyes now, Ari," Artemis called over to the girl who was still sitting on the floor.

Ari opened her eyes but had to blink a couple of times for her eyes to adjust to the lighting again. Once adjusted, Ari watched as the group decided to camp out there for the night. There was plenty of food and it was already nearing dark.

"I think we should take the children's advice and go to bed," Hera stated as she cancelled the message.

The quest hadn't gone very far in the first day. However, there were still fourteen more days until the solstice. Hopefully, it would be successful.

"Very well," Zeus agreed though he didn't not seem pleased. "Child you have the option of staying with your mother or staying with your father. Decide between the three of you."

With that, he and the other gods began to flash out. Athena and Poseidon made their way over to where Ari was sitting.

"Child," Athena started. "Your father and I were thinking that you might wish to spend some time with us instead of just watching the quest."

Ari smiled at the idea and nodded.

"That sounds like fun," she then frowned. "But, why are you able to interact with me and not the demigods at camp?"

Athena and Poseidon looked at each other. They should have known that this question was coming.

"Ari, the ancient laws prevent us from interacting directly with our mortal children," Poseidon started trying to explain.

"But, why? You interact with me."

"Because, they are mortal. If we were to grow attached, we would then try to interfere with the natural course of events," Athena took over the explanation.

"Then why are you able to interact with me?"

"You are not meant to be mortal, Ari," Poseidon pointed out.

"However, if you were to be on a quest, you would fall under the demigod laws," Athena added.

"So, as long as I don't go on a quest, you can interact with me?"

The two gods nodded.

"So, what are we doing," Ari questioned going back to the original conversation.

"We were thinking that you could spend a day with each of us," Poseidon responded. "You would be with me tomorrow and your mother the day after."

"What about the quest?"

Athena rolled her eyes, "In the event that your brother manages to screw up again, you and the parent that you are with will be contacted to watch the event."

Poseidon scowled at his rival, "Who says it will be my son that messes up?"

"Oh please, my daughter is smart enough to be able to tell a monster from a mortal."

Ari decided to try and stop the fight before it got any worse.

"So, where am I sleeping?"

Poseidon turned back to Ari, "You will stay with me in my guest rooms tonight and tomorrow with me and the next night with your mother. After that, it will be decided as need be."

Ari nodded.

"Now, I recommend you go to bed. You have a busy day tomorrow," Athena stated before giving Ari an awkward hug during which Ari flinched and heading off to her rooms. This didn't go unseen by either god.

Ari and Poseidon watched Athena walk off before Poseidon guided Ari to his guest rooms. As they went, Ari noticed that it seemed to be only the Council hall was made to house giants. She was going to have to ask about that later. The rooms were painted a lovely sea green with the furniture being made out of planks and coral.

"Your room is over here, Ari," Poseidon directed.

The design scheme was much the same. The queen sized bed had a canopy and the room had an attached bathroom.

"The closet is fully stocked."

Ari turned to look at her father with a questioning look.

Poseidon sighed, "Your uncle is very picky about decorum. You are to and I quote 'appear in proper attire from now on.'"

Ari nodded in understanding. However, she noticed that her father didn't follow proper attire since he was in council in bermuda shorts and a hawaiian shirt.

"Well, then I will leave you for the night. See you in the morning."

With that, Ari was left on her own to go to bed. She slept well that night even though she was worried about her brother and sister. She just hoped that her parents would continue to try and be civil.

 **Updated: 6/15/15, 7/2/15**


	20. Chapter 19

**Time to hang out with the parents. I know I will receive comments on this so I am going to explain it here: In the book, the quest started on the 11th. Without realizing it, I started the quest on the 6th. Therefore, I had to place the extra five days somewhere.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 19**

Ari woke the next morning feeling much better than she had the morning before. It only took her a few moments to remember where she was, and when she did, a wide grin spread across her face. She was going to hang out with her dad today.

Ari walked over to her bag that she had brought from camp; she needed to get ready for the day. As she looked for her toiletries, her hand found a letter in the bag. For a moment, she didn't remember where the letter had come from. Then, she remember that Hedwig had brought it for her yesterday.

Ari opened the letter and read it quickly.

 **Miss Potter,**

 **Please remember that you are not to use magic outside of school. Also, a portkey will be sent to you by your owl around July 24th to return you and Mr. Malfoy to school. You will spend the weeks before, during and after your birthday at school. The Headmaster has already confirmed that, after those three weeks, you will be staying with the Weasleys. Inform Mr. Malfoy, that if he wishes to join you, the Weasleys have said he is welcome.**

 **I will see you at the end of July,**

 **Professor Snape**

Ari read the letter one more time before something clicked. She had left camp _without_ telling Draco where she was going. Remembering her friend, she ran frantically into the main room to find Poseidon talking with Triton.

The two sea gods turned at the sound of the door being thrown open. Triton smiled in amusement at his sister's hurried appearance. She was still in her pajamas.

"Morning Ari. I think you might want to change before we go."

Ari blushed before muttering, "I need to call camp."

Poseidon looked at his daughter in confusion, "Why?"

"I kind of forgot to tell my friend, Draco, that I was summoned to Olympus. I need to tell him before he goes and tells Severus that I've run off."

"He could just go to Chiron," Triton pointed out.

"True, but he would then go to Severus telling him that I had most likely pissed you guys off," Ari stated shaking her head. "No, I really should just call him."

"Alright," Poseidon agreed creating a rainbow for his daughter.

Triton handed Ari a drachma. Ari threw the drachma into the rainbow.

"Oh goddess, please accept my offering."

The rainbow shimmered.

"Draco Malfoy, Camp Half-Blood," Ari called.

The image immediately changed to a frazzled Draco who was standing outside of the Cabin 3 pacing and muttering.

"Of all the crazy things to do...we were told to stay at camp... had to go and piss them off... can't find Hedwig..."

Ari decided to put her friend out of his misery, "Who has you so upset, Draco?"

Draco immediately turned around, grabbing his wand. He almost dropped said wand when he was met with the face of his friend in a rainbow.

"Ari! Where in Merlin's name are you? I was this close to sending Severus a message!" Draco began to yell and gesture with his hands.

Ari almost laughed at seeing her prim and proper friend so frazzled.

"Calm down, Draco; I am fine."

Draco raised his eyebrow in a move that almost looked like Severus.

"Really, Draco. Mom and Dad just want to talk to me. I'm going to be staying with them until Percy and Annabeth return from the quest."

"So, you're not joining the quest?" Draco asked looking a little less worried.

Ari rolled her eyes, "As if the council would let me. No, I get to spend the next fifteen days listening to the council argue with each other over the most trivial of issues."

Poseidon looked indignantly at his daughter while Triton tried not to laugh. Only one day with the council, and she already had them nailed. Ari blushed realizing what she had said in front of her father.

"You are coming back after, right?"

Ari nodded, "That's the plan. Then, we get to spend about a month at camp before we return to England. We have to spend about three weeks at school when we get back; however, the Weasleys have invited us over for the rest of the summer. We will then probably catch the train with the others," Ari continued the conversation with Draco ignoring the two gods in the room again.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"The Weasleys invited me?" Draco questioned skeptically.

Ari nodded.

"You are friends with us, aren't you?" Ari questioned raising her eyebrow at Draco making him feel like he had just asked a stupid question. "Of course, you could spend the rest of the summer at school with no one for company except the ghosts and professors."

Draco went pale.

"No, no," Draco answered quickly. "I will graciously accept the invitation in the manner it was given."

"Good," Ari smiled trying not to laugh. "Send a letter to Severus and let him know."

"Umm, Ari you seem to forget, Socrates is at Hogwarts, and you have Hedwig."

Ari blushed, "Well then ask Chiron to teach you how to IM. Anyways, I have to go."

She cancelled the message and turned back to her dad and brother.

"Now, I am going to go and get dressed," Ari stated as she rushed back to her room. She didn't want to know what her dad was going to do about her tongue and cheek.

Once the door was closed behind her, she moved towards the closet and found the clothes that had been left for her to wear.

None of them were like anything that she had ever worn before. When she lived with the Dursleys, she wore Aunt Petunia's old dresses. At Hogwarts, she wore the school uniform and the few items that she had bought while out shopping with Severus. These clothes were for lack of a better term, archaic.

She was pretty certain that nobody except the gods wore clothes in this style anymore. She also noticed that most of the dresses wouldn't even be considered decent until she was a few years older, and even then, half of them would still be questionable.

"Dad, who picked out these dresses?"

"Aphrodite, why?"

Ari rolled her eyes though she knew that he couldn't see her do it.

"No reason, it just explains a few things. I can't wear any of this!"

"Do you want some help?"

"No!" Ari shouted as she looked down at her only half dressed self. "I just can't wear any of this."

"Why not? They are perfectly good clothes."

"Because…."Ari started to blush trying to figure out how to say this to her father. "Just because!"

"That doesn't help, Ari."

"Well, I don't know how to explain it any better!"

"Triton go get Athena or Artemis. Maybe _they_ can help her with this."

Ari continued to rummage through the closet as she heard the sound of her brother leaving the suites. A few minutes later, she was buried under what had to be about a hundred dresses, and she heard the door to her room open.

"Ari? Your father says that you need help."

"I'm in here," Ari's muffled voice comes from under the pile of clothes as she waved her arm to the goddess that entered.

There was the sound of a small giggle before Ari was pulled out and was face to face with a nine-year old Hestia.

"Thank you Lady Hestia."

"No problem, Ari. Now, what seems to be the dilemma, and how does burying yourself under a mountain of dresses help? And please, call me Hestia."

Ari smiled, "It seems that Lady Aphrodite was of the opinion that I am older than I truly am. I can't wear any of these dresses, and dad says that Lord Zeus said that I have to dress appropriately."

Hestia nodded as she picked a couple of the dresses up off the floor. A long red strapless dress with a split up to the waist, a short black dress that would hardly be considered decent on Aphrodite let alone Ari.

Hestia shook her head. This would never do.

"Ok, Ari, relax. Tell you what we are going to do. You and I are going to go to my place and find you a dress for today. Then, in a few days, you, me, Artemis, and Athena are going to go shopping because this," she gestured to the pile of clothes "will not do."

Ari relaxed at hearing this and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Hestia noticed how Ari's scars, some lighter than others, even a few what looked like burn marks, seemed to fall just short of being noticeable below the shorts and t-shirt. She shook her head. They would have to see if there was anything Apollo could do to help the girl. Ari followed Hestia out of the room.

In the common room, they were met by an amused looking Triton and a harassed looking Poseidon. Hestia couldn't help but laugh at her brother.

"Ari! You're not dressed yet?"

Ari shook her head with a small smile. Hestia answered Poseidon.

"Unfortunately, Aphrodite picked a wardrobe that is more suited to an adult than an eleven year old girl. However, Ari and I have come up with a solution."

With that said, Hestia led the group to her palace. Once inside, she and Ari went straight into the bedroom to find a dress for Ari. It turned out that picking a dress for Ari wasn't that difficult of a task.

Ari found a dress that she liked within the first ten minutes. It was a simple knee length dress of a light pink color. It had a small v-neck. With a pair of silver sandles it looked awesome on her. The only issue was was that her necklace, bracelet and ring clashed with it.

"Don't worry, nobody will notice."

Ari raised an eyebrow at that.

"A black ring, a bronze bracelet and a leather necklace with random charms on it?"

"Well, we can't do anything about the ring, however, we could move the charms on the necklace onto a charm bracelet and have Hecate work some magic to make the bracelet/shield appear silver in bracelet form."

"At least then, they wouldn't clash as much with everything."

Hestia walked over to her jewelry box and pulled out a slim silver bracelet. It was only the work of minutes that the seahorse, conch, and bow and arrow charms were attached to the bracelet. To help the bracelet not look so plain, Hestia added a few decorative charms: an owl, a pegasus, a wand, and a flame. There was also still room for any other charms that Ari might want to add in the future. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about the owl bracelet right now.

"We can see about changing the conch to look like the rest of the charms as well," Hestia reassured Ari.

After being in the room for just under half an hour, the two girls emerged with Ari looking every bit the princess that she was. Ari had a small suitcase with a couple other dresses in it to get her through the next few days until they could go shopping.

With a hug to thank his sister, Poseidon motioned for Ari to take his hand.

"Close your eyes."

Ari did as she was bid and within a few seconds she felt the pull of being transported somewhere. However, unlike the portkey, it was not an uncomfortable feeling.

"You can open your eyes, Ari."

Ari did so and found that she was standing in a throne room. Not only that, the throne room was under water.

Looking around, Ari's face lit up before she turned quickly to her dad and brother.

"You brought me to Atlantis?!"

Poseidon chuckled, "Yes. I thought we could all use a break from the pain in the neck that is your uncle."

Ari was about to turn around and continue looking when something caught her attention. She took another look at her dad and brother.

"Triton, why do you have two tails? And, why are you _green_?"

For a second, neither god seemed to understand what she was asking. Finally, Triton understood.

"You've never seen me in this form, have you?"

Ari shook her head.

Poseidon finally caught on to what was going on.

"Ari, this is what we look like normally. However, you can't expect us to walk around Olympus with fish tails, can you?"

Again, Ari shook her head.

"As for your brother's skin being green, well he was born that way. He just goes caucasian when on land so as not to attract attention."

"Does this mean I'm going to grow a tail while down here?"

Triton and Poseidon both started laughing. Ari honestly didn't get what was so funny. As far as she was concerned, it was a perfectly acceptable question to ask. She didn't honestly want a tail. She was, after all, still waiting for normal female body parts to arrive let alone worrying about learning how to use a tail instead of feet.

It only took a few minutes for the males to realize that she was quite serious in her question. Ari just gave them a look that said she was not impressed.

Looking sheepish, Triton answered, "No, you won't have a tail underwater until you start coming into your powers."

Ari nodded in understanding before continuing to look around. The ceiling and pillars of the throne room were decorated with bits of coral and shells. The throne room was open to the surrounding sea so that creatures could come and go as they pleased. The floor was a mosaic depicting major events in the history of Atlantis. Ari noticed that a few showed the triumphs of Poseidon's demigod sons.

On a dais sat three thrones, one in the center and then one on either side. The one in the center was the biggest and Ari could guess that it was Poseidon's. The throne looked exactly as described in the myths; it was made of gray-green white-streaked marble. It was decorated with coral, gold, and pearls. The arms took the shapes of sea beasts. Overall, it looked more like a throne than his throne on Mount Olympus. The throne that would be on his right hand side was done in a soft pink coral. The design was intricate and the back formed the shape of a water lily. Ari thought it was absolutely beautiful. The throne on her dad's left side was created by a giant conch shell that was split in half and then hollowed out. The rest of the throne was made up of and intricate design of coral and smaller shells. All three thrones were human sized. Overall, all three thrones were a wonder to behold.

Poseidon and Triton said nothing as they watched the young girl look around. They watched as she took in everything and then lingered for the longest time on the three thrones. Triton was about to go and pull his sister out her thoughts when a young mako shark beat him to it. He watched as the shark came up behind Ari and nuzzled her calf.

Ari let out a high pitched scream as something rubbed against the back of her leg. Jumping away from the unexpected physical contact, she turned around to see her dad and brother laughing. As they tried to regain control of their laughter, Ari tried to get her racing heart to calm down. She looked down to see what had rubbed against her and saw the young shark.

" _I didn't mean to scare you, Princess."_

Ari just nodded. What did you say in this kind of situation? Ari decided to just go with it and reached down to pet the shark.

Triton and Poseidon eventually regained control of themselves and decided that Ari needed a tour of the palace and the surrounding city.

"It would probably be better, Ari, if you use your seahorse. Walking doesn't go as quickly down here as swimming, and a human swimming is much slower than a merman."

Ari didn't bother to bring up the fact that she didn't know how to swim thanks to the Dursleys. She summoned the seahorse, that she still needed to come up with a name for, and followed her dad and brother.

The shark had decided that it had better things to do than to follow the three around the palace all afternoon.

"The palace original part of the palace was built shortly after the Titanomachy," Triton began to explain as they moved through the palace. "The rest was built as extensions or repairs as the years went on.

"Why are there no walls in the hallways?"

"I wanted it to be open to anybody that needed to come to us either for help, advice or just a chat. Unlike you uncle, I try not to stand too much on formality if I don't have to."

"Is that why the throne room is human sized?"

Poseidon nodded and smiled at his daughter's observations.

"Yes, I don't believe that I need to rule through intimidation."

"Then why is the Council Hall so huge back at Olympus? Everything else seems to be human sized except for that room."

"Your uncle believes it makes others think twice about crossing us; that is looks impressive and makes an impression."

Ari continued trying to take everything and asked about the architecture and the history. Triton and Poseidon were both quick to explain the story depicted in the murals, statues and paintings. Ari was quite certain she would never be bored here. They went to the Eastern Wing that housed the suites of the nobles. Poseidon, while not letting her in, showed her where his chambers were, and Triton did the same. They came to a stop in front of a coral pink door.

"And this," Poseidon said as he opened the door. "is your room."

Ari walked in, leaving the seahorse in outside, and looked around the rooms that she had before only been in in her dreams. However, it looked as though some stuff had been added in the last day and a half. Looking closely at the walls, Ari noticed that the coral and shells depicted scenes from her first year at Hogwarts. But, how?

Poseidon saw the confusion on Ari's face and decided to explain, "After meeting you on Halloween, your mother and I-"

"and the entire council for that matter," Triton interrupted.

"-have been watching, and I thought it might make a good design. It is created like the mosaic in the throne room. Once you have your domain, the health of it will be reflected in the mosaic."

Ari nodded. Looking at the designs, she noticed that most of them involved her and her friends hanging out. They were mostly relaxation scenes: Ari and her friends under the tree by the lake; Ari and her friends in their study group; Ari in the first quidditch match; Ari, Caillen, Keina, and Faye studying in the common room.

"If you want to add more later, I can show you how to."

"I wouldn't mind hearing about the troll from Halloween," Triton added. Truthfully, the entire council wanted to hear that story.

Ari turned to look at the rest of the sitting room. The furniture was all the same as in her dream. There were plenty of shelves for her to put books or other belongings that she wanted to put on display. She already knew what led through the door next to the fireplace, so she decided to go through the door on the right wall.

Inside of this room was the office that Triton had mentioned. The furniture was made out of plank wood. Behind the desk was a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the surrounding sea. Ari watched as a school of fish stopped in front of the widow looked at her and then continued on their way.

In the corner of the office, there was a small reading nook with a comfortable armchair, a reading lamp and a small bookshelf.

"The bookshelf is so that you don't have to continuously get up and go into your library," Triton explained.

Other than that, it was basically a place where she could work in peace with no distractions. Ari decided to go and see what was through the other door in her sitting room, but she already had an idea since Triton had already told her what rooms were included in her suit.

Sure enough the final room was a massive library that her mother obviously had a hand in helping to create.

"The library will expand as you need more space for more books. Your mother sent over some books from her personal library and the Olympus library that they had more than one copy of. You should have plenty of time to expand your library."

Ari ignored the implied 'if you reach your 18th birthday.'

She was amazed at the vast variety of books that the library already contained; however, on the other hand, she shouldn't have been surprised considering who her mother was. After a few minutes of poking around the library, Ari took a quick look inside the bedroom and then decided to continue on with the tour.

The last room in the palace on the tour was the recently finished game room. It included every game system known to humans, lots of board and card games, a pool table, a poker table, a dart board, air hockey, and foosball. There were plenty of chairs and couches spread throughout the room.

Poseidon looked very proud of this room as he watched Triton challenge Ari to a game of foosball. Of course, Ari didn't know how to play, so she got creamed. The trio spend a few hours playing random games, and teaching Ari how to play said games, before they decided that they still needed to show Ari around the city.

Once they stepped outside the palace, Ari couldn't help but turn around to see the magnificent structure from the outside. It looked absolutely nothing like Zeus' palace on Olympus. Most of the halls had no walls so that they were open to the outside just like the throne room. However, to add some privacy, the bedrooms had walls with windows that could be covered by curtains. Whereas Olympus was angular and the architecture was distinctly Greek, Atlantis, having the basics of Greek architecture, seemed to also be more fluid in design like the sea that surrounded it.

Ari turned back to look at the city and was amazed. The builders of the city had taken care to work with the surrounding landscape. In this case, the majority of the city was built into the side of the sea cavern that Atlantis resided in. The palace laid at the bottom and in the center of the cavern. No matter which way you turned, either towards the front of the cavern or further back, the city was everywhere. The cavern was narrow in some places to the point where buildings on either side were almost touching, and in other places, there was a great many yards between the walls of the cavern. The pillars were not spared and had temples, houses, and carvings built into them as well.

Ari let herself be led through the part of the city that laid on the ground of the cavern and near the palace. Poseidon and Triton explained to Ari the layout and how the city came to be like this.

"The city originally started with the palace and a couple of buildings on the floor of the cavern," Poseidon explained. "However, it was eventually decided that we needed to have somebody posted near the entrance, so that is where the barracks and a couple garrisons are kept."

"As the population grew, so did the city," Triton took over. "We kept up with it by building not only out but up as well. Our architects became very good at using the surrounding landscape instead of destroying it. The layout is such that the domestic districts are towards the back, the military districts are near the front and the rest is a mixture of mercantile, scholar, and tradesmen."

"There are entrances to the forges in the trenches throughout the cavern. And outside the cavern, there are several kelp and coral farms. There are also many sea horse and oyster ranches."

"Are there schools for the kids?"

Triton nodded, "Schools are free for all children that are making at least a B average. The schools are spread out throughout the city and there are a couple of universities too."

Ari just nodded as they kept on walking. They came upon a park in one of the domestic districts and watched as some kids ran through the reefs chasing some fish that then turned around and chased the kids. It made Ari wonder what her childhood would have been like if she had been raised by her parents instead of the Dursleys.

A few hours later, the group made their way back to the palace to enjoy the rest of the evening. The tour had taken most of the day; however, Ari had enjoyed shopping in arts and merchants districts. She picked up some tapestries for her room and some coral figures that looked nice.

The rest of the evening was spent watching movies together and eating junk food; something that Ari had never been allowed to do. It was past midnight when Poseidon decided that they needed to go to bed.

"Don't want your mom to yell at me about being irresponsible on top of everything else that she faults me for."

Ari said goodnight to her brother and dad before making her way into her bedroom. She took one last look around before collapsing onto her bed; she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Ari awoke to somebody shaking her. Just managing to stop herself from screaming, she looked over to find a young mermaid floating about three feet from the bed.

"Ummm...who are you?" Ari asked as she tried to wake up.

"Sorry, miss, my name is Naomi. I was asked by King Poseidon to help you since Lady Hestia can't be here."

Ari just nodded and made her way over to her suitcase. She hadn't bothered to unpack it yesterday because she was going to Olympus to stay with her mom today. She was about to pull out a dress when Naomi stopped her.

"Lady Athena sent word to King Poseidon that you should dress comfortably; you won't be in the Council halls."

Ari nodded again. That made getting dress really easy: shorts, t-shirt and sandals. As she was pulling off her p.j's, Ari forgot that there was another person in the room. What's more, Ari forgot that said other person didn't know about her scars. Naomi screamed at the sight of her back.

Before Ari could react, still being half asleep and all, her dad and brother came charging into the room.

"What's going on?"

"Are you alright?"

Ari tried to pull her shirt back over her head; however, Triton caught sight of her back and grabbed her arms to stop her. She gave Triton a pitiful look, but he knew that this needed to be done.

"Naomi, could you leave please? We will assist Ari," Triton asked; however, Naomi knew that it was an order and made her way quickly out the door.

Gently, Triton turned Ari so that her back was once more to the door and lifted the shirt back up enough for his dad to see. Ari didn't bother to fight him; she knew that it wouldn't do any good.

Both gods were pissed. They knew that Ari had been abused, but they never fully apprehended the extent of the physical evidence. It did not go unnoticed that Ari was silently crying, and it only made the two gods angrier. Poseidon and Triton reigned in their anger enough that they could talk without yelling at anybody, namely Ari.

"Ari finish getting dressed and meet us in the sitting room," Poseidon directed before walking out. He didn't want to confront this right now.

Triton gave Ari's shoulder a quick squeeze before following their dad. As soon as the door was closed, Ari ran into the bathroom. Most of the time, she avoided looking at her back in mirrors. Call it denial, but if she didn't see it, then she could pretend that it wasn't there. Unfortunately, with more and more people seeing it, it was becoming harder to pretend.

Ari quickly brushed her teeth and her hair before going back into her room and slipping into the clothes that she had pulled out before the two gods had come running in at Naomi's screams. Taking a couple of deep breathes, Ari calmed herself down enough that she wasn't about to have a panic attack. The Dursleys were gone. She had no reason to fear them anymore. No longer looking like she was about to cry at any minute, Ari walked out of the bathroom and almost ran right into Naomi.

"Sorry, miss," the young mermaid stated quickly.

"It's alright," Ari said automatically she was finally getting a good look at the girl.

She couldn't have been any older than Ari herself was. The girl's hair was long in length and turquoise in color. The tips of her hair were of a darker blue in color. Her eyes matched her hair in color and showed clearly every emotion that she was feeling. She was pale in complexion and small in statue. Her tail was forest green and her top was grass green.

"Can I help you with anything, Miss?" Naomi asked pulling Ari out of her observations.

"I just need to make sure that everything is packed. I'm pretty sure my mom has a closet full of clothes that she approves of so the clothes here can stay."

Naomi nodded before helping Ari make sure that everything was packed. Since she hadn't really unpacked the day before, it really didn't take that long.

"Thank you, Naomi."

"No problem, Miss."

Ari turned towards Naomi finally deciding to ask the question that was bothering her.

"Naomi, why exactly are you helping me?"

If Naomi had feet they would have been shuffling a bit in discomfort. As it was, Naomi didn't look up to meet Ari's eyes.

"Naomi-"

"Your father asked me to help you."

"As in this once or-" Ari cut off as Naomi shook her head.

"As in permanently, miss. My mom serves the queen, and when it was learned that you would be coming for visits it was decided that that I would serve you."

"As in a maid," it wasn't a question. Ari knew the answer. But, Naomi nodded her head anyways.

Ari just sighed. Why didn't she see that one coming. But seriously, who had maids anymore.

"Alright, thank you Naomi."

She was so going to be talking to her dad about this one. Ari and Naomi walked out of the suite together.

"Where is my father?"

"The king said to have you meet him and Prince Triton in the throne room. I can lead you there."

Ari nodded. She really didn't feel like getting lost right now. It was only five minutes later that the two entered the throne room. However, they were not alone with the prince and king. Standing beside the coral throne was none other than the queen of Atlantis herself, Queen Amphitrite.

"I don't want her here! I have told you before; I don't approve of the spawn that sire with other women. They have no place here."

"Amphitrite, this isn't up for debate. Ari has as much right to call Atlantis her home as you do."

"She may live here, _My Lord_ , but she will never be a true princess," the queen snipped.

"Mother, Father, please," Triton tried to calm both his parents down. To Ari it seemed as if he had heard this same argument a thousand times over, which he probably had. "Argue about this later, _in private_ , maybe where the topic of your discussion can't walk in on you."

The two ruling nobles turned around to see that indeed the topic of the argument was in the room with them.

"Ari, come here please," Poseidon called.

Ari did as she was told and walked hesitantly forward. She tried to keep as much distance between herself and the queen as could be considered polite. Amphitrite for her part didn't say anything as the girl approached but her glare was enough to tell Ari that she was indeed unwanted here.

"Ari, this is my wife, Queen Amphitrite. Your step-mother. Amphitrite this is Ari," Poseidon did the introductions as quickly as possible.

Nobody said anything for a few minutes. Finally, Ari decided to utilize the manners that Aunt Petunia had ingrained into her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Amphitrite," Ari muttered and gave a quick curtsey.

"Humph," Amphitrite sniffed before turning her glare on her husband. "If that is all, I will be taking my leave. Feel free to continue to use the couch."

With that, the queen gracefully left the room. Poseidon just shook his head. He was wondering if their marriage was going to survive this. He turned to his daughter who was looking at the door that Amphitrite had just left through.

"Your stepmother is most displeased with me. I think finding out about you _and_ Percy was too much at one time."

"She has you on the couch?"

Poseidon nodded, "I've been on the couch since the night you revealed yourself to the council. Most nights, I either stay in my rooms on Olympus or in a guest room like I did last night."

Ari could do nothing but stare at her father. The queen was mad at him because of _her_.

Triton seemed to catch on to what Ari was thinking.

"Ari, don't even think about blaming yourself. You are not at fault for father's actions. Father chose to cheat on mother. Father sired you and Perseus. Father is the one responsible for making mother mad."

"Triton is right Ari. Now, I believe that we have kept Athena waiting long enough. I know for a fact that she has plans for you today. Come here."

Ari walked over to her father and he pulled her into a hug, choosing to ignore for the time being the minor flinch. As soon as Ari had relaxed into the hug and her eyes were closed, they were gone. They reappeared seconds later in the Council halls.

"Poseidon, you are late," Athena accused as they appeared.

Poseidon just nodded, "There were complications this morning."

The look on his face told Athena that they would need to talk about them later. While the gods talked about some minor issues that had appeared in the past 24 hours, Ari looked around. All of the gods and their thrones were once more shrunk down to human size, probably because she was here. The viewing image was once more up and Ari could see Percy, Annabeth and Grover on a train. Percy was drooling, Grover was in danger of losing his shoe and Annabeth was reading.

"You didn't miss much," a voice came from behind Ari.

Ari snapped around to come face to face with Hestia.

"They spent all yesterday on the train after talking to a pink poodle and getting a reward for returning that poodle."

"A pink poodle?" Ari questioned to make sure that she heard right.

Hestia nodded.

"Now, how was your day in Atlantis?"

Ari's face brightened up.

"I loved it. I never imagined that Atlantis was built literally into a cavern wall. There were so many different people. The architecture was amazing as well."

Hestia smiled at the child's enthusiasm. The other gods were slowly turning their attention to what Ari was saying. Poseidon and Triton were proud that Ari had loved Atlantis so much. After a few more minutes of hearing about Ari's day, Athena decided that she needed to intervene.

"Ari, we need to go otherwise, we won't have time to do everything."

Ari turned to her mother, "Where are we going?"

Athena merely smiled, "You will see. Come on."

Ari followed her mother out of the throne room and out of the palace. They walked along the palace and temple lined streets before coming to a palace.

"This is my palace."

Stepping inside, Ari immediately felt like she had gone back in time to ancient Greece. The architecture left no doubt of its Greek origins. Ari couldn't spot anything that resembled Roman. Unlike the other buildings that were a mixture of cultures.

The entire palace was set up like one giant museum/library. There wasn't a single room that didn't house some form of books, literature, scrolls, artifacts, paintings, statues, etc. Ari knew that she could spend years in here and still not have seen everything.

Ari was led up to the third floor of the modest palace and into a room.

"These will be your rooms."

Ari looked around. Inside was a spacious bedroom done in Ari's favorite color, purple. The walls were painted white to contrast with the dark fabric and furniture. The furniture was black and the bedding and curtains were all dark purple. The floor was a light wood to help make the room not so dark.

"The door over there leads to your bathroom. This door leads to your closet. Hestia has spoken to me about the issues with your closet in your father's rooms. Unfortunately, we have the same issues here because Aphrodite did both. We will be doing a shopping trip with your aunts and cousins soon to rectify the situation," Athena said all of this very formally. Ari had to wonder if she had any experience with children.

Athena walked over to the third and final door and motioned Ari to open it. Ari did and let a huge smile cross her face. Inside the room was a study. Somewhere that she could go and study or read in peace. While it didn't have a full library, Ari figured this was because the entire palace was already one, and she could just borrow the books that she wanted to read.

"We will get you some books to read or your can bring them from Atlantis if you wish. Of course, you are welcome to the books in the palace just make sure to return them."

Ari turned to her mother nodding and before she could even think about what she was doing, she ran up to Athena and hugged her.

"Thank you."

Athena was startled at first but then she returned the hug. A few seconds later, it was a short hug, Athena decided that they needed to get going.

"If you want to leave your bag here, we need to get going. Thanks to your father, we are already running late."

Ari sighed. Would her parents ever get along? Ari went back into the bedroom and dropped her bag on the bed and then followed Athena to the elevator exit of Olympus. It took a while for the elevator to reach them because of the mortals below using it; however, eventually it did come. The couldn't really talk because as the elevator descended into the main part of the Empire State Building, mortals joined them in the elevator. The mother and daughter walked for a bit before coming to a small cafe. By now, it was almost lunch time and Poseidon had admitted to Athena that Ari had missed breakfast.

"So, where are we going?" Ari asked as she ate her salad.

Athena smiled at her daughter, "I thought you and I would spend a day expanding our knowledge and letting you learn more about your family history."

"We're going to a museum?!"

"Yes," Athena chuckled. "We are going to a couple of museums. I thought that the Metropolitan museum would be good place to start, and then, if we have time, the Smithsonian."

Ari cheered. She had never been allowed to go to the museums with the Dursleys. The only time she had gone to one had been on a school field trip. She had loved every minute of it.

Athena was happy to see that her daughter was excited to go to the museums. She could definitely see her love for knowledge in Ari. She really needed to talk to Hecate about her idea for a birthday gift. It would make going back and forth from Hogwarts, to camp, to Olympus, to Atlantis and back again in any combination easier. After lunch, the pair made their way via subway to the Metropolitan museum.

Once they arrived, they joined the tour that was going through the Greek and Roman Art exhibit. The tour guide was actually very well informed and seemed to enjoy her job.

"Alright folks, my name is Rebecca and I am going to be your guide today through the ancient past. More specifically we will be exploring the Ancient Greeks and Romans."

Ari noticed her mother scowling every time the Romans were mentioned; however she decided that now was not the time to bring it up. The group made their way to the wing the housed the exhibit that they were to be looking at with their guide doing quick highlights of the ones that they passed through for those that might be interested in exploring them later.

"Now, The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than seventeen thousand works ranging in date from the Neolithic period (ca. 4500 B.C.) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America. The geographic regions represented are Greece and Italy, but not as delimited by modern political frontiers: much of Asia Minor on the periphery of Greece was settled by Greeks; Cyprus became increasingly Hellenized in the course of its long history; and Greek colonies were established around the Mediterranean basin and on the shores of the Black Sea. For Roman art, the geographical limits coincide with the expansion of the Roman Empire. The department also exhibits the pre-Greek art of Greece and the pre-Roman art of Italy, notably of the Etruscans."

Ari's eyes widened at all of the ancient artifacts. She could easily get lost in here for hours and not notice the time slipping away.

Athena bent down and whispered to her daughter, "I like to come here sometimes and remember the past. Always remember Ari that the past is what makes us who we are. While we can't change it, we can learn from it."

Ari nodded and went to look at the stele that Rebecca was explaining.

"Now, this stele depicts one of the stories of the end of the titans and the beginning of the Olympians. King Kronos was the leader of the titans and when he heard a prophecy pertaining to his children, he decided to eat them. It wasn't until his wife tricked him that his youngest son, Zeus, was able grow up, trick his father, and free his siblings."

The tour continued like this for a few hours, stopping at the artifacts that had a big story behind them and telling the tales of old. Ari wished it could have lasted longer but eventually they reached the end of the tour. Of course, Athena led Ari back into the wing to explain some of the artifacts that Rebecca had skipped over. They were getting ready to leave and head to the Smithsonian before it closed at six when Athena's phone went off.

"Hello."

"You and Ari need to get back here now!" Artemis' voice came through the phone. In the background, Athena could hear the sounds of a major fight.

"We're on our way."

Athena led Ari out of the Museum and and into an alleyway behind the museum.

"Close your eyes and hang on Ari."

As soon as she was certain that her daughter had listened, they were gone. Athena didn't have them reappear directly in the Council hall because of the background sounds from the phone call. Before she opened the door to the Council hall Athena gave instructions to Ari.

"Follow me in, but stay behind me. Get behind a pillar and stay there until it is all clear."

Ari nodded that she understood, and they went in. Inside was absolute chaos as the gods tried to separate Poseidon and Zeus. All of the gods were once more at their full height. Ari ducked behind a pillar and hoped that it would be over soon. She turned to look at the viewing of the quest, just knowing that it was the cause of all of this, and saw that Percy was facing a terrifying monster.

"YOU SENT THE ECHIDNA AFTER MY SON! WHAT'S MORE YOU TOLD HER TO USE THE CHIMERA! YOU KNOW VERY GOOD AND WELL THAT NO DEMIGOD HAS EVER BEATEN BOTH!"

Ari's eyes widened. Her brother barely had a week of training how was he supposed to survive this.

"IF YOU HAD JUST ADMITTED YOUR WRONG DOING, I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO RESORT TO THIS!"

There was suddenly a loud crashing sound followed by a blinding light. Ari peaked around the pillar and saw that Zeus and Poseidon were really going at it. Zeus was sending bolts at Poseidon as fast as he could. Poseidon was countering with blasts of water that met the bolts head on and still were able to hit Zeus.

Ari didn't want to watch the fight anymore and instead turned back to her brother.

'Where are Annabeth and Grover,' she wondered as she watched Percy try to protect the mortals who had no idea what was going on.

She watched as Percy was bitten by the Chimera.

'Oh no.'

She knew that Percy had no chance in this battle. The Chimera had originally been killed by, ironically, their half-brother, Bellerphon while on Pegasus. Percy had neither the training of Bellerphon or the maneuvering room. He was trapped in an enclosed space with two monsters and some mortals.

'Of all the bad luck.'

She listened as the gods continued to fight. She listened as Echidna taunted Percy. Soon, Percy was weaponless, poisoned and about 630 feet in the air overlooking the Mississippi river.

'Wait, river, that's it.'

"Jump Percy," Ari shouted at the top of her lungs.

Her shout had the added benefit of drawing the gods out of the fight and back to the quest.

"What do you mean, jump?" Poseidon questioned.

"The Gateway Arch looks over the Mississippi river."

Triton's eyes widened, "That might work, Ari. But remember, father doesn't control the freshwaters."

"No, but the gods that do do respect me and owe me quite a few favors. Percy should survive if he jumps."

The Echidna continued to taunt Percy as many began to hope that the young demigod would jump.

"He is still having difficulty believing in you," Hestia said sadly.

They all watched as Percy seemed to have an internal battle with himself. Ari had a feeling she knew what about. They were all questions that she herself had asked when she discovered that her parents were alive. More importantly when she discovered who her parents were.

"Just trust him, Percy," Ari muttered.

Sure enough, Percy seemed to come to the conclusion that Ari had come to realize, after destroying Severus' office, Poseidon had made mistakes, but he still loved them.

They watched as Percy plunged 630 feet through the air and straight into the Mississippi river. Poseidon quickly got on his phone and made a call. The other gods shrank back down to human size and Triton came to stand beside Ari.

"The Minotaur, three Furies, Medusa, Echidna, and the Chimera. What is Percy going to face next? The Nemean Lion? The Manticore? Or how about Arachne?" Ari asked her brother nearly panicking.

Triton grabbed his sister and pulled her down onto the floor. She needed to calm down before she had a panic attack. He idly noticed that she was flinching less and less around him.

"Ari breathe, relax. Perseus is fine; he survived."

"But what about next time?"

Triton sighed, "There is no way to know Ari. But, this is the life of a demigod. This is the life that is destined for those born of a human and a god. It has always been this way."

Ari continued to be cuddle into her brother. She didn't really mind it with him. While she didn't really like physical contact still, she was growing used to being hugged and held by her big brother.

Triton and the other gods watched Percy's reaction to surviving the fall and breathing underwater. They watched as a messenger appeared before Percy and he mistook her voice for his mother.

Poseidon flinched; he should have picked somebody else. Zeus turned a glare on his brother as they heard the message.

"You can't appear before him; no direct interaction is allowed."

"I was planning on sending a messenger, brother. Believe it or not, I know the laws."

Zeus could do nothing but nod his acceptance. While they could not interact directly with their children, they had been having messengers send messages and give gifts for millenias. It was generally accepted.

A few minutes later, Percy made his way to the surface and was reunited with Annabeth and Grover. The trio made it back to the train just before it pulled out.

"Well, they should be on the train until sometime tomorrow afternoon. We will keep the image up, but I recommend that everybody go back to their duties," Hera stated before flashing out. Luckily Ari had still been looking at the image.

Athena walked over to her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. The unexpected contact caused Ari to flinch, but it also drew her attention to her mother.

"We don't have time to go to the Smithsonian today. How about we go back to the palace and relax?"

Ari nodded. She gave Triton a quick hug before following Athena out of the palace and back to her home.

The pair made their way to Athena's library and while Athena sat in her favorite seat, Ari curled up on the couch across from her. The silence was awkward for a few minutes before Athena decided to break it.

"Ari, we do need to discuss your non-magical studies."

Ari sighed. She knew that this conversation was coming, but to be honest, she had wanted to put it off for a while longer.

"What about it?"

"You still need it."

"I know that, but right now, I really don't have time. If you ask around Hogwarts, I am busier than most fifth and seventh years at school with everything that I have going on, and they are the ones studying for major tests that could determine their entire futures."

Athena nodded, "Do you have a copy of your class schedule?"

Ari nodded this time before running up to her room to grab it from her bag.

Athena took a look at it before stating, "It looks like you have plenty of free periods to do your homework during."

"For now, but those will be replaced with elective classes starting in third year. Plus right now, I am using every minute of those to do homework, plus the evenings before and after lessons and practice, plus an hour during lessons and all day Sunday."

"Is Sunday your only free day?"

"Depends on your definition of a free day. If you mean do I have no classes, extra lessons, or practices, then yes. If you mean am I able to do what I want, hang out with friends and just have fun, then no."

"And it will only become more difficult starting your third year?"

Ari nodded, "That is when I gain a minimum of two additional classes. We are supposed to pick them sometime after Christmas break this coming year."

"Then we need to come up with a plan. I agree that for right now, your magical training and survival training come first. While I could tell you to stop playing Quidditch, I know that that won't go over well, and plus I know that you enjoy it."

Ari smiled she was happy that her parents understood her need to do something fun even if it did take up three evenings of her week.

"Plus, I am observant enough to see that you have a talent for it. Just be careful."

Ari nodded again.

"Now, with all of that being said, you need to continue your non-magical training as well. Do you have any ideas?"

Ari thought for a moment before coming up with something.

"What if I did it after I graduate?"

"Explain."

"Hogwarts ends the June before I turn 18. What if, after I reach 18, I go back and do the schooling that I have missed by going to Hogwarts?"

Athena smiled, "That might actually work. Once you are immortal you can very easily take the form of whatever age group you are in. Of course, I can tutor you over the summers so that you might not have to go for so long. We can try to get you up to the high school level."

"High school?"

"Oh, sorry. High school starts at the English equivalent of year 10."

Ari nodded, "So we would only have to get through three years of knowledge in the next 6."

Athena smiled, "Yes, and of course, if you do extra studying on your own, we might be able to get through a bit more."

Ari liked that idea. She had wanted to continue her non-magical studies, but had not had any idea how with everything else that she was doing. Now, once she was immortal, she would be able to. She just had to reach her 18th birthday.

The mother and daughter spent the rest of the evening talking about everything from Ancient Greek history to Aphrodite's horrible wardrobe selection. Honestly, for a fashionista she should be able to pick out a closet full of clothes that are _appropriate_ for an eleven almost twelve year old.

As it neared midnight, Athena sent Ari off to bed.

"We will be in Council all day tomorrow so please dress appropriately."

Ari nodded and headed off to her rooms. For the second night in a row, she marveled at how soft her bed was before she drifted off into her dreams.

" _M'lady it's time to get up."_

Ari grumbled as the voice tried to awaken her from her wonderful dreams.

" _Now, m'lady. The council is waiting."_

The voice was persistent and unfortunately for Ari it succeeded in waking her up. Ari looked around trying to find the voice that had woken her up. Finally, she found the source, there sitting on the window, was Hedwig.

"Hedwig! What are you doing here?"

" _Waking you up, m'lady. Now, come on. Your mother is waiting. Also, you have a letter from Draco."_

Ari took the letter from Hedwig and decided to read it quickly.

 **Ari,**

 **Ok, I have talked to Severus and accepted the invitation from the Weasleys. Severus knows that you are not at camp and says that you had best remember your manners. You had better be ready to tell me about Atlantis and Olympus when you get back. Hermione has written and says she expects to hear every detail. Other than that, camp is going crazy.**

 **Everybody is dividing into sides. Apparently there is going to be a war, Lord Zeus against Lord Poseidon. Right now, cabins 5, 7, and 10 are backing Lord Poseidon. Cabin 6 seems to be divided with the main cause being you. They want to back Lord Zeus like their mom will, but they also want to back you. Unfortunately, it looks to them like you are going to be divided. They know that your mom will back Lord Zeus and of course your father is against him right now.**

 **Please be careful. We all hope that Percy succeeds so that there is no war.**

 **Draco**

Ari read the letter one more time. Draco got one thing right, if there was a war, Ari would be divided wanting to support both of her parents but being unable to.

"I'll be Switzerland."

" _What m'lady?"_

Ari chuckled, "Nothing Hedwig. It's an expression."

" _You'd best get ready, m'lady."_

Ari quickly went into her bathroom and got ready for the day. Going back into her room, she pulled a forest green dress out of her suitcase. The dress was ankle length and had a thin black belt that fit snug around her waist. With the dress, she wore a pair of black flats, her bronze bracelet (shield), the black ring, and the silver charm bracelet. Amazingly the ring didn't stick out too much with this outfit but she really needed to get the bracelet changed.

Going down stairs, she met her mother in the kitchen and together they ate a quick breakfast.

"Annabeth, the satyr and sea spawn should be arriving in Denver this afternoon.

"Do you think they will run into anymore trouble?"

"Ari," Athena stated seriously looking at her daughter. "they are demigods. This is the life that they have been born into. Whether we like it or not, their lives are dangerous. Doubly so when they are on quests."

Ari could do nothing but nod. She might accept it, but that didn't mean she had to like it. The pair finished their breakfast and made their way to the Council hall. Ari took a seat near the hunters and immediately turned her attention to the viewing image.

Annabeth, Percy and Grover were still on the train since it was only eight in the morning. It didn't look like it was going to be a very exciting day as far as the quest was concerned.

"Does anybody know where Ares is?" Aphrodite asked as she came into the Council hall.

Ari looked back at the thrones and noticed that besides Dionysus, Ares and Hermes were both absent. Aphrodite and Hephaestus both came in with Hephaestus looking almost smug.

"He has yet to arrive," Artemis answered.

The gods made small talk for the next couple minutes before Artemis turned it to Ari.

"Did you enjoy the museum yesterday?"

Ari's eyes brightened.

"Yes. We didn't get to see anything aside from the Greek and Roman exhibit however that was plenty. Rebecca, the guide told us the stories behind many of the artifacts. After the tour, mom took me back inside and went over many of the ones that were skipped over. I think the ones that mom told me about had a much more interesting story than the others if only because they are stories that tend to not be in books."

"You are definitely your mother's daughter," Apollo laughed.

"And what is wrong with that?" Athena snapped. "The love of knowledge is not a bad thing. In fact, it should be encouraged."

Apollo wisely decided to be quiet especially when he noticed the dagger that Athena was fiddling with.

The conversation continued on for a while like that. The gods decided to humor Ari and told her stories that were not normally in the history books. Ari learned about her family, dead cousins, brothers and sisters.

It wasn't until after lunch that anything exciting happened. The quest had been very calm. The train let the trio off at Denver. The group had gone to a car wash and Percy had learned the wonders of IM'ing. Annabeth and Grover had scared the crap out of some random mortal by showing him Grover's legs and threatening him with Annabeth's dagger.

"She really shouldn't do that."

"The mortal shouldn't have been blasting his obnoxious music."

"My Lady, he is just being a typical idiotic man," Phoebe input hoping to calm down her lady.

Artemis nodded her agreement.

The group made their way into a diner and took a seat at a booth.

"How are they going to afford food? They lost their supplies when Zeus blew up the bus," Apollo pointed out before cringing away from Zeus' glare.

"They aren't. They will be asked to leave," Athena answered.

They watched as the waitress approached their table and asked them if they could afford to pay. She gave them a glare when they answered in the negative. Right then, a 21 year old male who looked strangely familiar approached their table.

"Hercules!"

"What he is he doing there?"

"He better have a good reason for interfering."

"Isn't he supposed to be guarding the gates?"

"What gates?"

The gods looked at each other. They needed to be more careful about what they said around Ari. Ari wasn't paying attention to the looks exchanged amongst the gods though; she was watching Zoe who seemed to be growing angry by the appearance of this god.

"Zoe, are you ok."

Zoe turned to look at the young princess, "I am fine, Lady Ari."

"How about we watch to find out what is going on."

Everybody nodded at Hestia's recommendation. They watched as Hercules manipulated the mortal and then taunted Percy.

"You have no idea what you are getting into, boy. If you think they will repay you for your deeds, you are wrong. The gods don't know how to reward hard work; they never have."

Said gods were becoming angrier by the second. Poseidon was hoping that Percy did not listen to Hercules.

"Why do you say that?" the gods heard Annabeth ask and many of them began to become nervous.

Ari knew what Annabeth wanted; facts.

Hercules turned to the girl at the table as though only seeing her for the first time.

"You know, you're mighty cute. Maybe when you're older, if you survive that is, you and I can meet up."

Athena's face went red in fury as Annabeth looked like she was about to be sick. Ari kept one eye on Zoe and noticed that she seemed to be restraining herself from going and creaming that punk.

"Perseus needs to be careful," Hephaestus piped up.

Everybody had to nod in agreement. Just then Ares flashed in and Ari had to quickly shield her eyes.

"I am going to cream that punk if I ever find him!" Ares shouted as he made his way to his seat.

"And who has your toga in a twist?" Apollo joked.

"That punk Hercules! He vanished from the island and then I find him trying to seduce Harmonia!"

"WHAT!"

Ares just nodded at Aphrodite before turning to the viewing screen hoping that watching barnacle beard's son screw up would cheer him up. However, once he caught glimpse of who was on the screen he was up and shouting again. After showing no signs of stopping, Aphrodite led him out of the room.

The group turned back to see how the kid were doing with the very much in trouble minor god. The food by now had arrived and the children were finally getting some food.

Hercules watched them for a few minutes before starting up again.

"Now, don't think I came all the way here just to give you wimps some advice to forget about the Olympians."

"Of course, not. It could never be _that_ simple."

Hercules glared at Percy.

"Watch it, _cousin_. I was beating up immortals when I was your age."

"That was only because you were foolish enough to purposefully piss them off."

"Why you-" Hercules took a lunge at Percy, but Percy was pushed out of the booth by Annabeth.

"Maybe we should take this outside."

Reluctantly, the group made their way outside. Hercules led them over to a Mercedes.

"Now listen, punk. I need you to fetch something for me like the good lap dog you are."

Percy raised his eyebrow at the god, "And why should we? We already have a quest."

"Because if you don't, you won't get this bag full of supplies," here he held up a very archaic looking sack that looked to weigh at least 20 pounds. "What's more, you won't get the ride west that I have arranged for you, and you won't get the information I have about your mother."

Percy's eyes widened.

"That is a low blow. Nobody should have their mother used against them," Hera scolded.

"What are we _fetching_?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, at least one of you has common sense. You are fetching my club. I was forced to leave after by last...ummm...business deal...went south."

"Where is it?" Percy asked through gritted teeth.

"Not far from here. If you hurry, you can probably finish this task before the end of the day. In the Botanic Gardens, near the back, you will find my club. All you have to do is go get it and bring it back. That should be simple enough.

With that, he left, leaving three slightly confused questers wondering what was going on.

After Hercules left, they wondered what the kids were going to do. They listened as Percy said they should just continue on with their quest.

Zeus nodded his agreement with this. Everybody else rolled their eyes at the king.

Annabeth said they couldn't ignore the quest. While Hercules was a jerk, it was a bad idea to ignore a god unless you wanted bad things to happen."

"While Annabeth is correct about ignoring the gods being a bad idea, she is incorrect that they can't ignore the side quest. Just like a demigod can turn down a quest should they choose, though it tends to be frowned upon, they can also turn down a side quest. It is up to the demigod."

Ari was highly confused and Poseidon saw this.

"Ari, the stories from Greece are us in the very beginning. We have had more than 7000 years since then to add laws for the protection of the demigods. While it used to be that we would punish them if they turned down our quests, they are now given the choice for the most part."

"For the most part?"

"There are times, mostly in war, when the quest is too important to be turned down. These tend to be ones that are made in person. Most quests, however, are now not given in person but through the Oracle. Like with Percy, they go to the Oracle to get the quest. By asking the Oracle, they accept the quest. Also, quests are extremely rare now. Percy's is the first in two years; the last one ended in failure."

"So they could turn down the side quest if they wanted to?"

Poseidon nodded, "While it might not make Hercules happy, in fact, I can guarantee you that he would be very angry, they can choose to ignore the quest and continue on. Most choose to do the quest though in order to completely avoid the anger of a god."

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover by now had arrived at the Botanic Gardens where Hercules left his club. Everybody in the throne room noticed Aphrodite and Ares return to the room, but chose not to comment.

The trio moved through the gardens trying to avoid everybody while looking looking like they belonged there. Eventually, they reached the back of the gardens.

"Split up and try to find it. It has to be around here somewhere," Annabeth directed.

None of them wanted to be here for too long. Ten minutes later, they were no closer to finding the stupid and yet elusive club that had sent them off course of their main quest. Eventually they came upon a hidden pagoda in the the middle of a field of flowers. On the bench of the pagoda was a necklace and the club that they were looking for.

"Oh, no," Hestia muttered when she caught sight of the necklace.

Many of the gods went pale and/or wide eyed at the sight of it sitting there in the middle of the public _mortal_ tourist attraction.

"They need to remove it but carefully."

Ari was trying to figure out what the necklace was. Zoe saw this and decided to give her a hint.

"Remember who _Hercules_ met there," she spat the name.

Ari thought for a few more seconds before remembering, "Harmonia."

Zoe nodded, "Think about the legends. By now, you should realize that the majority of them are true if the facts aren't somewhat skewed in some cases."

Ari thought about what she remembered, "She's the daughter of Lord Ares and Lady Aphrodite."

The gods nodded. They were all listening.

"She married the first King of Thebes, Cadmus."

Again agreement.

"She was," Ari's eyes widened and turned back to see Annabeth picking up the necklace. "given a cursed necklace at her wedding."

"You got it," Apollo answered. "How do you know all of this?"

Ari blushed, "I read."

Athena smiled at her daughter.

"So do I, but even I can't keep _all_ the myths straight like you seem to be able to do, and I _lived_ them."

Athena looked at Apollo in shock, "You read?!"

Apollo smiled and nodded. Ari had a strange feeling that it wasn't like what her mother now thought.

"How many books have you read?"

"I've read five."

Athena was shocked, "This month?"

"No," Apollo said shaking his head. "Ever."

Now, Ari was shocked and she couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "I read more than that in a _week_ , and that isn't counting what I read for school to research my essays."

The gods laughed at Apollo's flummoxed face.

"I just don't like books."

"He's never really been able to sit still long enough to _read_ a book," Artemis added.

"Anyways, back to Harmonia, I thought she was a turned into a dragon with king Cadmus, and they both _died_."

"Dragon, yes. Died, no."

"Then how did Hercules try to seduce her?"

"Oh you know, the normal way. They eventually talked Hecate into helping them. However, the punishment still stood for Cadmus. So, they agreed to be drackens. Of course, Cadmus had to be granted immortality to keep Harmonia happy."

Ari's eyes widened, "They are the reason there are _drackens_!"

The gods nodded and everybody turned back to the image.

Annabeth snatched up the necklace while Percy grabbed the club. Annabeth stared at the necklace for a few minutes before shoving it deep into her pockets. Unknown to the two demigods a trap had been set.

Ares leaned forward. He wanted to see if the punk had what it took to survive a trap set by a god meant for a god. Then he remembered that the daughter of Athena was there and almost paled.

'Crap, this won't end well,' he thought readying himself for the fight that he knew was going to come.

As soon as Percy pulled the club up, the trap was sprung. There was a rustling sound to their left before what sounded like a very loud clicking sound. Annabeth and Percy, having faced more than enough dangers on this quest to start recognizing the signs, pulled out their weapons. Grover grabbed a stick. Suddenly, coming at them at the speed of a charging bull but more than three times the size, a giant spider came crashing out of the bushes. Athena paled at the same time that Ari shivered and Annabeth panicked.

The gods spared a look over to the daughter of Athena that was in the room with them. It was obvious to them that she hated spiders; however, she seemed to be better at controlling her fear than most of her siblings. Triton could tell differently, he noticed that she was subtly shaking and her fear was most obvious in her eyes. Ari's eyes would always give away her true feelings, and right now, she was absolutely petrified. Triton walked over to his sister, ignoring the glares from the hunters and pulled Ari into a hug as he sat down. No matter how she acted, he knew that she was scared, and he would always do what he could for her.

The hunters watched the male closely before realizing that he wasn't trying to hurt the girl. They noticed that she was actually calming down as Triton muttered to her, and it was that fact, that had them leaving him alone. They didn't trust men; however, they could accept the fact that he was helping his sister.

Percy had managed to pull a panicking Annabeth out of the pagoda and into the field of flowers. At least they would have room to move; however, they were realizing they had no idea what the spider could be.

Poseidon turned to glare at Ares.

"You had better hope that they get out of this trap of yours relatively unharmed. They are mortals! They are not meant to be surviving a god's trap."

"If you want to get mad at somebody, get mad at Hercules. He is the one that sent them there," Ares retorted.

"Oh believe me," Athena input. "I plan to."

"What is that thing?" Grover yelled.

Percy shook his head; he didn't know. Unfortunately, the only one out of the trio that might have an idea was too terrified to think.

The gods turned to Ares with questioning looks. Said god huffed but decided that it was probably better for his health if he told them.

"It is a normal garden spider. I wanted to get one of Hecate's acromantulas; however, she refused me. So, I went to Circe and got something to make a small spider a bit bigger."

"A bit! A bit! You call that monstrosity, _a bit_ bigger!" Athena all but screamed.

"I could have found something worse than a harmless garden spider, but I didn't feel like wasting my time."

The other begrudgingly gave him that. However, they now knew that the weapons weren't going to work. Add in the fact, that it was Circe's magic that had done this, and the trio was in a bit of trouble.

As the spider came at them for another charge, Percy decided to fight. Like with the minotaur the night he arrived in camp, he waited until the last minute and jumped to the side slashing at the spider as it past. However, something was wrong. His sword went straight through the thing.

"Grover, we need a new plan!" Percy yelled as he leapt away again.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know but this _thing_ isn't a typical monster. My sword did nothing."

"Well, how do mortals kill spiders?"

"Do you happen to have a giant fly swatter?"

Grover leapt out of the way as the spider tried to go for him. Percy was keeping an eye out for Annabeth; who, luckily in her panic, had enough sense to dodge the giant charging spider.

"Nope, fresh out."

"Bug spray?"

"Try again."

"How about fire?"

"I'm a satyr. For fire, try a son of Hephaestus."

"Sorry, but Beckendorf's back at camp."

"Is this really the time for them to be having this conversation?"

Many of the god shook their heads. If Ari had been a bit calmer, she probably would have been laughing at their antics. However, Ari wasn't even bothering to watch anymore. Giant spiders she could _not_ handle. She _really_ hated spiders.

"Percy's up to something."

Sure enough, Percy had his eyes closed, after pulling Annabeth and Grover over to the edge of the trees, almost like he was scared to watch what was about to happen.

"Typical man not able to handle being embarrassed."

Poseidon and Triton however were able to look closer.

"He's not scared, he's focusing, but on what?"

Athena's eyes widened, "Water! He's trying to find the water for the plants."

Everybody watched the image with more interest. Right as the spider pinned them down, Percy managed to get the water to come through the pipes.

"They're going to kill the flowers."

"I think that is the least of their concerns."

That was true. Percy was drenched in sweat, but he had managed to capture the spider in a bubble of water. Annabeth was finally coming to her senses told Percy to head for the lake that they had passed on their way back here.

Making sure to stay off the main trail, the group quickly made their way to the lake. Percy by now was having to be held up by Annabeth and Grover because he was entirely focused on keeping the spider encased. Once they reached the lake, Percy let the bubble go, and with a giant splash, the spider landed in the middle of the lake. As soon as he let go, Percy collapsed to the ground.

"Well, have to admit, the punk did good," Ares nodded his approval.

The trio picked themselves up after a few minutes, took a few deep breathes and began to make their way back to the diner.

The gods in the Council hall turned to Ari who was still cuddled into her brother, but she had watched the ending of the side quest. Triton had told her when they had escaped the spider.

"Ari, are you ok?" Hera asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I just really don't like spiders. Grew up with them, couldn't escape them, got bit by them, really don't like them."

The gods nodded, no child of Athena liked spiders, and the fact that Ari had had to live with them with no escape would have just added to her fears.

"How did you deal with the spiders when you were little?" Hestia questioned.

"Took a shoe and quickly squashed them," Ari answered with a small smile. "I learned from a young age that I would get in trouble if I went to Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia about the spiders. I was considered ungrateful. Dudley just made fun of me. So, I had to deal with them myself. I couldn't afford to scream in fear because Uncle Vernon would get mad."

"So, you learned to silence your fear and deal with it."

Ari shook her head, "I don't think I ever really dealt with it. It was be silent or be punished. I learned to hide the fear."

Apollo nodded, "Before, your fear of your uncle overrode your fear of the spiders. Now, you no longer have your uncle to fear, so you are being forced to actually deal with the arachnophobia."

"Hercules is back," Aphrodite announced.

They watched as Percy threw the club at Hercules, and Hercules in return threw the sack at Percy with a bit more strength than was necessary.

"Perseus had best watch his temper."

Everybody nodded. Ari was watching from where she was still seated on Triton's lap. For some reason that she could not explain, she was comfortable with Triton. She felt safe.

They watched as Hercules told Percy the information he had about his mother; it really wasn't anything that he didn't know before, and then the trio quickly ran to catch their ride. Inside was a trio of animals that were clearly being mistreated.

Immediately, all the gods were expressing their displeasure. No animal should be treated like that. The viewing for the day ended with the trio helping the animals be at least a little bit more comfortable.

Hera cancelled the image and told everybody that they needed to go to bed. She had a feeling that the gods were going to be getting up early in the morning. Slowly everybody began to make their way home or to their rooms. Athena and Poseidon made their way over to the brother and sister.

"Ari, do you know where you want to sleep."

"Can I stay with dad and Triton?"

The three gods nodded. They all had a feeling that Ari didn't want to be far from the one person that she truly felt comfortable with. Sleeping arrangements decided, the four headed off to bed.

The next morning, all of the gods met up early in the morning; Ari was still asleep.

"How did she sleep last night?" Hestia asked.

All of the gods were worried after Ari's reactions yesterday during the side quest.

Poseidon sighed, "She was restless for a couple hours before finally dozing off. I have a feeling she has nightmares. I don't see her getting up until closer to the afternoon."

"She also has issues with personal space and physical contact," Apollo pointed out.

"Not when it comes to Triton though," Poseidon added.

Apollo nodded, "I think she is comfortable around Triton. It seems as though he has somehow made her feel safe around her."

"Her reaction to the spiders was definitely different."

"But not completely unexpected," Apollo interjected. "As I stated yesterday, before yesterday whenever she was around spiders, she had her fear of her uncle take precedence over her fear of the spiders. Therefore, she has never really had to deal with her arachnophobia."

"What has you acting so serious for once?" Artemis felt the need to ask.

Apollo turned to his sister with a serious look, "Ari is a traumatized child that is going to need help. She needs to know that she is safe around us; however, it is going to take time."

"What do you recommend?" Athena asked.

While he was a joker most of the time, Apollo was the medical expert on the council. They trusted what he said about patients, and like it or not, Ari was a patient.

"If she wants to talk, let her talk. If she doesn't, don't force it. I will talk to her about talking to somebody, either me, Athena, Poseidon, Triton, or anybody that she would feel comfortable around. Also, she flinches at physical contact, as we have all noticed. Therefore, try to make sure that she sees you coming," here he turned to Triton. "Triton, as I stated, she does trust you already. Continue what you are doing. Be a big brother to her; let her know that you are there. Other than that, there really isn't much that we can do. It is going to take time for her to heal. All, we can really do is let her know that we will listen, and if she does come to us, be there to listen."

Everybody nodded in understanding. Right now, there really wasn't much that they could do until Ari decided that she was ready to talk about what happened to her. And, right now, the person that she was most likely to go to was Triton.

A few minutes later, Ari came into the room and Zeus summoned up the image. The image was brought up in time to see Percy release the zebra right out of the truck and into Las Vegas.

"What does sea spawn think he is doing?"

"I don't know about you Athena, but I think he just released the animals that were in the truck into the heart of Las Vegas."

Athena glared at Hermes for his comment.

It was almost noon so the quest was arriving in Las Vegas in time for lunch. After the last of the animals were set free, the trio followed. They walked around for a while before going into a casino and hotel; the Lotus hotel and casino.

"They really shouldn't go in there."

"I blame sea spawn."

"Of course you do."

"Well it is normally that male that makes the stupid decisions."

"You know that you love us, sis."

"Don't call me sis!"

Ari just listened very confused.

"What is wrong with the casino, besides the fact that all three of them are under 21 and can't legally be in one without an adult?"

Triton, who had decided to sit next to his sister answered, "It isn't just a casino. Think, what do you know about lotuses?"

Ari thought for a few minutes before it dawned on her, "The lotus eaters."

Triton just nodded in response.

"They've walked into a trap."

All the gods nodded.

"They really can't catch a break."

Within minutes of entering the casino, the trio was escorted to their suite and they made themselves comfortable. Clothes were provided and all three took showers that they desperately needed. They then decided to go explore the casino and Percy threw the backpack from Hercules into garbage.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the trio run around the casino and hoping that they would leave soon.

"They are falling under the trance."

Everybody nodded. They watched as Percy met two children, a boy and a girl, with black hair and black eyes; they were twins.

Almost as soon as the two came into the image, Apollo went into a trance. Artemis ran over to her brother and all the other Olympians were on alert. Ari wanted to ask what was going on, but one look at Triton told her that now was not the time.

After a couple of minutes, Apollo, still in the trance, stood and made his way over to Ari. As he went to grab her shoulder, Poseidon, Athena, and Triton's eyes all widened in fear, and Ari forced herself not to flinch. As he opened his mouth to speak, Athena and Poseidon finally spoke up.

"Apollo, stop!"

"She doesn't need a quest!"

Suddenly, Ari had a feeling what was going on, but for some reason, she could not force herself to pull away from the hand now gripping her shoulder. Triton could do nothing but watch. All of the gods knew that if Apollo had a prophecy, there was no stopping it from being delivered and fulfilled.

After a few more minutes of the stand off, Apollo finally spoke the words that dictate the next week and a half of Ari's life.

 **Twins of death in cursed place stay.**

 **Lightning quest has just one day.**

 **A family united in spirits' home.**

 **Eldest twin with hunters will roam.**

 **Two quests to finish or peace will end.**

 **Beware the one who your brother calls friend.**

With the prophecy given, Apollo collapsed backwards into Ares who had been expecting it and was ready to catch him. Once he came around, Apollo took a few minutes to catch up, but soon he realized what he had just done and he went pale.

He immediately turned to Ari with an extremely apologetic expression on his face.

"Ari, I am so sorry."

"You just gave a prophecy, didn't you?" Ari asked needing confirmation of her suspicions.

Apollo nodded, "When it happens, I have no control over it. However, I haven't given an actual prophecy in almost 3000 years."

"None of us were expecting it," Artemis reassured her brother.

Honestly she was a little scared. What could be so important to the fates that Apollo suddenly gives off a prophecy? What's more, why Ari?

"There is nothing that can be done now," Zeus stated taking command. He knew that if he left it like this, they would all put it off for as long as possible, and that would not end well for Ari. "Ari needs to prepare to leave. Like with the demigods, we take her to the bus station and give her supplies for her quest."

Everybody nodded though reluctantly and moved to help Ari prepare for her quest. Nobody liked this. Apollo was angry at himself for putting his tiny cousin through this. Poseidon and Athena were pissed that Ari wasn't getting a choice, the quest had been given straight to her, by Apollo none the less.

"Ari, do you have your bottomless bag that I gave you for Christmas?" Hera asked.

Ari nodded, "It's in my room next to my suitcase."

She had put her homework in it.

Hera returned a few minutes later with the bag.

"I put the homework and none quest essentials in your office."

Ari just nodded. She had no idea what she was supposed to be doing.

Hermes was in his office trying to book Ari a bus ticket from New York to Las Vegas.

"Why Vegas?" Apollo asked.

"The prophecy specifically mentioned the lightning quest. So, the best place to start would be having her join up with Percy and his group."

Everybody had let it go after that.

Hestia and Demeter worked on getting enough food rations backed up. Luckily, Ari had a bottomless bag. They made a bunch of sandwiches, salads, cold pizzas, and snacks. They called in Hecate and had her quickly put some preservation charms on some lunch boxes so that nothing would go bad on the trip. To go with the food, they packed up waters and juices. They packed up enough for Ari and the two people that were supposed to join her in her quest. Percy's quest had already been given their supplies.

Apollo and Artemis, with the hunters, worked on getting medical supplies together. They had no idea what Ari was going to run into and they didn't want to take any chances. Quest rules said that they could not get involved in her quest except to give her supplies and see her on her way. However, it didn't put a limit on what her supplies could be. They were going to do their best to make sure she was prepared for everything.

Triton, Poseidon, and Athena helped Ari pack up her clothes and the other necessities that she would need.

"Travel clothes Ari. Think shorts, t-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes."

Ari nodded and began to go through her suitcase looking for appropriate clothes. She was really wishing that they had had time to do that shopping trip. The clothes that she had got last summer were actually a little small on her.

"We'll go shopping when you get back," Athena assured her daughter.

Before long, they had all the clothes together and were adding them to the bag that already housed the food rations and the medicines.

"You have your sword and shield?"

Ari nodded and showed both pieces of jewelry.

"Dagger?" Ares questioned. It was always good to have a backup weapon.

Ari had to think for a moment about where she had put her dagger and the holster.

"It's in my suitcase. At least it was when I packed at camp."

Ari made her way back to her room and sure enough it was in the inside hidden pocket of her suitcase. Thinking quickly, she decided that she was just going to clip the dagger to her waist like she did at school and hide it under her shirt. Therefore, she didn't need to bring the holster.

After clipping on the dagger, she made her way back into the Council hall. Hermes came in with the travel plans.

"Alright, your bus leaves at eight. There will be many stops along the way; however, and this is important, do not get off the bus until you arrive in Vegas. I know for a fact none of us are going to send anybody after you. So, as long as you remain on the bus, you should be safe. After that, there are no guarantees."

Ari nodded, "How long is the bus ride?"

"Four days. You should arrive in Vegas, barring any delays, the evening of the thirteenth."

"Why am I aiming for Vegas?"

"Think about your prophecy."

Ari did so and then it clicked.

"The lightning quest. I need to meet up with Percy and the others."

The gods nodded, "Just remember Ari, this is a completely different quest from Percy's. Therefore, don't be scared to separate if you think your quest requires it."

Ari nodded her understanding.

"We leave after dinner."

With that everybody went their respective ways to relax until Hestia and Demeter were finished with dinner. Apollo approached Ari.

"Ari, can we talk?"

Ari nodded. Apollo led her out into the garden.

"I am truly sorry Ari. If I could take back the prophecy, I would."

"I know."

"You know where your quest will end, don't you?"

Ari had a feeling she knew, but she didn't want to face it right now. However, with Apollo looking at her the way he was, she couldn't help but nod. The line ending in 'spirits' home' kind of gave it away.

"Where Ari? I need to hear it from you," Apollo insisted.

"The Underworld," Ari whispered.

Apollo nodded, "You know what guards the Underworld?"

Ari nodded, "Many things guard it among them, Cerberus."

Apollo again nodded in response, "You have already faced one though."

Ari giggled, "Fluffy. But Hagrid let slip how to get past him. I have no idea how to get past Cerberus."

"Ahhh, but who is to say that they are not all the same? After all, all cerberus are descendants of the original. Just as all fish can not breathe on land, all dragons are weak in their eyes, and all demigods are mortal to both steel and celestial bronze. Who is to say that all cerberus do not have the same ingrained weakness?"

Ari's eyes widened. She knew how to get past _the_ Cerberus if what Apollo was insinuating was correct, and she wasn't about to doubt the god of truth. Seeing that she was understanding him, Apollo decided to give her his gift.

"I want you to have this," he said as he handed her a flute charm for her bracelet. "Hestia told me you had a bracelet full of useful charms, and I thought that I would add one to it. Remember music is music whether it sounds good or not, and if you want lessons, you know where to find me."

Ari stared at Apollo not yet attaching the charm to her bracelet.

"All gifts come at a price," she muttered.

Apollo grinned sadly, the child knew the ancient ways.

"I think you have already paid the price for this gift by being forced on the quest."

"Is it really that simple?"

Apollo shrugged, "I don't know, but I think that the fates could probably take that as payment."

Ari nodded and attached the charm. She really didn't feel like singing _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_ in the middle of the Underworld.

Dinner was a silent affair. Ari made her sacrifice with a prayer for a safe return from the quest. After dinner, it was decided that only Athena, Poseidon, and Triton would see her to the station. The group of four flashed over to an alley near the station, with Triton transporting Ari, and they arrived about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure.

"From here, we can't help you, Ari," Poseidon reiterated giving Ari a hug.

Maybe it was the emotions of the situation, but Ari did not flinch at the physical contact. None of them wanted this. They would rather Ari be able to stay on Olympus like the original plan.

"We will be watching," Triton reassured as he gave his sister a hug. Before he pulled away, he whispered in her ear, "Remember the conch."

Athena walked over and gave Ari a hug as well, "Remember, do not get off the bus until it arrives in Vegas. We can guarantee that none of us are going to send anybody after you, so you should be safe until you arrive."

Ari nodded and then her bus was called and she walked off to join the mortals that were boarding. By the time that she got to her seat and looked out, all three were gone. After ten minutes, so was she.


	21. Chapter 20

**I own nothing except my imagination. Thank you to everybody for sticking with me. A huge shoutout to Biowind for helping with this, previous, and probably future chapters.**

 **Enjoy**

 **Chapter 20**

The next four days were relatively uneventful for Ari as she simply stayed on the bus as it traveled cross country going about 60 down the interstate. She got to see highlights of cities such as Washington D.C.; Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; and Los Angeles, California and hoped to be able to visit them at a later point in time; when the world _wasn't_ in danger of World War III.

There had been a few delays during the trip; construction going through Dallas-Fort Worth, many gappers' delays, and a few pileups. Overall though, the trip was the absolute opposite of what her brother and his quest had gone through. She found it a bit backwards that she had to go through Los Angeles to get to Las Vegas just to go back to Los Angeles. But, there wasn't much that she could do about it.

The bus arrived in Vegas around 10 pm on day four. It was June 13th; they had one week before World War III broke out. She made her way from the bus terminal to a nearby bus stop. Hermes had informed her that the Deuce would take her from the terminal to the casinos on the Strip. From there, it was just a matter of finding the others.

The bus ride didn't take long even if the bus was packed to the point that there was standing room only, and Ari was beginning to feel claustrophobic by the time that the bus dropped her off in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

Almost immediately upon entry, everything seemed to be working against her and her ability to stay focused on the task at hand. She was greeted by a manager, given a casino cash card, room key and complementary lotus. She made her way up to her room deciding that it couldn't hurt to at least get cleaned up after spending four days on a smelly bus with multiple equally smelly people. She placed her bag on the bed and the lotus on the dresser.

After taking a thirty minute shower, the hot water never faltered, she pulled out a clean pair of shorts and a t-shirt and then decided to make her way back down to the casino. Ari made sure that she was leaving nothing in the room. After all, she had no plans of staying in the casino longer than necessary. The lotus laid forgotten on the dresser.

Down in the casino, Ari was met with an unexpected but very pleasant surprise. The casino was divided into two sections. The first section, the adult section, was like that of every other casino in Vegas, lots of slot machines, poker tables, roulette, and games of that nature. The second section was specifically designed with minors in mind. It was full of video games, board games, table hockey, foosball, and card games. The games provided the children with tickets that they could then take up to the counter to exchange for various prizes. It was a kids' paradise.

At first, Ari was fully focused on going in, finding her brother and sister, finding the twins, and getting out. After what felt like only a few hours, however, she found herself forgetting her objective and just enjoying herself. It wasn't long before she too was under the spell, and two quests were at a stand still.

 **oOo**

On Olympus, the gods had continued to watch the, now two, quests as they progressed. They had mainly just watched Ari read on the bus and Percy, Annabeth, and Grover play games at the casino. After four days of boredom, they all watched as Ari entered the casino. They were happy that she managed to not eat any of the lotuses; however, that didn't seem to matter as Ari still fell under the spell of the Lotus-eaters.

"The Lotus-eaters have become more advanced in their methods," Demeter pointed out in worry as they watched Ari join a group around the foosball table.

"That's to be expected. After all, the monsters need to adapt as we do in order to survive in the modern day. The old method of waiting for somebody to come along just doesn't work anymore," Athena reasoned.

"So, it's no longer just the lotuses that the demigods need to be careful of?" Artemis questioned.

"No, they have probably found other ways to get and keep people under the trance. If I had to hypothesis, it is probably in not only the food and drinks," Athena began to analyze. "The question is, how did it get to Ari if she didn't really do anything."

The gods pondered this for a few minutes. The only thing that Ari had done before going to the arcade was-

"She took a shower!" Poseidon all but shouted coming up with only plausible way that Ari could have fallen under the trance without eating the lotuses.

Many eyes widened at the realization that it had been something so simple. They had only warned her about the lotuses and the fact that time was different in the lair. Nobody had thought anything about the other everyday products that people would come in contact with.

"So, was it the aroma or the fact that the products absorbed into her skin?" Artemis questioned.

"The second option is more likely for the shower products that she came in contact with. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they also had aroma products at use as well," Athena said putting the pieces together.

"It doesn't matter _how_ they're doing it. They are now _all_ under the trance," Triton pointed out a bit irritated at the fact that he couldn't help Ari.

He almost laughed at that realization. He had tolerated, hated, and even worried the smallest bit over his half-siblings in the past, but he had never felt this attached, let alone this quickly, to any of them. The only ones who had come close were Bellerophon and Theseus. He disliked Orion, Phineas and Sciron because of their actions and personalities. His monster siblings Antaeus, Charybdis, and Polyphemus were ignored and rarely mentioned. His sisters, the naiads, traveled to the other cities in the seas and tried to help with the pollution problems that the mortals were causing. Therefore, they were rarely around, and when they weren't traveling, many of them lived at Camp Half-blood. Kymopoleia lived somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea and hadn't called home in the last five centuries; nobody really mentioned her.

Overall, his family under the sea was just as dysfunctional as his family that lived on Olympus. In some ways, more so. He tuned back into the conversation that was going on around him. They were still talking about the point that he had brought up.

"-just going to have to hope that one of them is able to throw off the spell," Athena stated sternly. "We aren't allowed to interfere. It is up to them to get out of this."

With that, the conversation was brought to a close. However, nobody was happy with the results.

 **oOo**

A few hours turned into a few days and then a week, and there was no sign of any of the children, or the satyr for that matter, being able to pull themselves out of the trance that they were under. All of the gods had taken to staying on Olympus. Poseidon and Triton stayed in the guest quarters; Amphitrite was still mad at her husband. Many of the gods' duties were being either delegated to the minor gods or outright neglected in preparation for war. The tension was thick as Olympus began to divide into two distinct sides; Poseidon and Zeus.

Poseidon was not one to go back on his word, and he had promised war if there was no apology by the summer solstice. While he didn't want to, Triton followed his father's orders to have the Atlantean army on standby. Zeus had the minor gods running around preparing. The other Olympians, aside from Ares, while happy that there weren't anymore screaming matches, were worried that about how was quickly it was escalating. Ares, the only one who seemed to be happy with the current atmosphere, was constantly seen sharpening his weapons and telling others to "prepare for battle" and "look alive." They would be at war if the bolt was not returned by tomorrow evening, and their only hopes were currently trapped with the Lotus-eaters and weren't showing any signs of coming out anytime soon.

 **oOo**

Triton was down in Atlantis keeping the Atlantean Generals up to date and making sure that everybody was ready to go. He was stalling going back up to Olympus because he really didn't want to listen to the complaints, arguments, and war plans going on. Triton made his way to his quarters and once there, summoned an image of Ari in that cursed casino. He needed to get her out of there. The only good thing was that, while it wasted time and made one forget everything else, the trance of the Lotus-eaters was not harmful. Ari's conch charm wasn't sending him any warnings that she was in danger.

All of the gods had found ways around the ancient laws; it was to be expected with having more than five millennia to find loopholes. His father was exploiting one; the laws prevented direct interference; however, they said nothing about messengers. His father was probably going to send one of the nereids. This was actually a very common loophole to exploit. Triton chose to exploit a different loophole that worked thanks to many different rules. The gods were permitted to give gifts, even if they couldn't give them in person, and the gods had complete control over their symbol of power.

Over the years, Triton had found that he could keep an eye on his half-siblings, and even help them, through his symbol, the conch shell. When the shell was given as a gift, it was able to act as a sort of warning beacon. He could set the conch to respond to a specific sibling to let him know if they were in mortal danger.

The only downside was that, in order for the gift to work at its full potential, the gift had to be willingly and fully accepted. That had never happened before with a demigod sibling. Most demigods believed that they did not need the help of a god. Therefore, even though they had accepted the gift, they chose to not use it. Because of this, he received the warnings through the conch but had been unable to help. He could only watch as his siblings were either seriously wounded or, more often than not, killed.

The only reason that he knew so much about what he could do with the conches was because he had given one to his mother, one to the naiads, and one to his father even though they rarely were in trouble since the ancient times.

He had also learned that he could send messages through the conches and use them to locate the person in question. His sisters had even managed to once contact him through the conch when there was an uprising in the Baltic Sea back in the 1700's. It was through these conches that he was able to practice what he was about to try with Ari. He only hoped that she had fully accepted the gift.

Triton watched, and as it neared 8 pm on the 20th, he decided that it was time to act. While he may not be able to go to Ari, he could at least get her attention. Triton grabbed his conch and focused. After a bit of concentration, he was able to connect his conch to the one on Ari's wrist. Now, it was just a matter of getting her attention. Focusing on the connection between the two conches, he began to send his message.

 **oOo**

Ari was playing with her new friend Sam on Dance Mania when she felt it; a small vibration. Looking around, she couldn't figure out what it was, so she just continued playing. After Sam beat her for the fifth time in a row, the two girls decided to go get something to eat; well, more like Sam dragged Ari, and Ari was forced to follow or fall flat on her face.

"So, what do you want to go on next?" Sam asked as she ate her extra large chili cheese fries.

"I don't know. Honestly, I'm a bit tired," Ari responded as she rubbed her wrist. Her bracelet for some reason was rubbing against it uncomfortably. Was her bracelet always this warm?

"Come on, a few more games," Sam begged and tried to pull the puppy dog face. "It's still early."

Ari shook her head, "I really want to go to bed. We can do laser tag tomorrow if you can find a group of people to go with us."

Sam nodded finally seeing that her friend really was tired.

"Alright. I'll meet you at the buffet tomorrow for breakfast."

The two friends parted ways, and as she made her way to the elevator, Ari finally looked at her bracelet. More specifically, she looked at one charm, the conch charm. It was glowing a bright sea green. Not only that, but she quickly discovered that it was the reason her wrist was becoming increasingly irritated over the past couple of hours. Within the span of time that she had stood here examining it, it had changed temperatures twice. But, why was it acting like this?

"Do you need help?" one of the hotel staff inquired as she came up to her carrying a tray of complimentary lotuses.

"No, thank you," Ari responded with a smile. She couldn't remember having ever met any nicer people than the staff at this hotel and casino. "I was just heading up to my room."

"Oh, well, take a midnight snack before you go."

Ari nodded and as she reached for one of the lotuses on the tray, her charm heated up the entire bracelet again.

"Ouch!" Ari yelped as, once her hand was within inches of the offered lotuses, the bracelet heated up to an unbearable temperature. She quickly pulled her hand back and grabbed her now throbbing wrist.

Once she pulled her hand back, the bracelet started to return to a normal temperature. She reached forward with her left hand, the wrist with the weird owl bracelet, and this time, the bracelet froze.

Eventually, after a few more tries, she gave up and just headed up to her room. The worker seemed unhappy, but there was really nothing that Ari could do about it. Ari didn't want to have a sore wrist for the rest of the night. She took a look at her wrist once she was back up in her room and noticed that it was a livid red and was almost to the point of being swollen. The bracelet was normal temperature, so she decided that it would be best to remove the charm that was causing the issues. As she grabbed the charm, she heard it.

" _Ari!"_

She snapped up and looked around, but she was alone in the room. Looking down, the charm was still glowing, and now, she was curious. Cautiously, she grabbed the charm again.

" _Ari! Wake up! You only have one day!"_

One day? What?

" _The quest, Ari! Olympus is about to go to war! Wake up!"_

Quest? Olympus? War?

" _It's Triton. Wake up!"_

Triton? Ari's eyes widened. Almost as though the floodgates had opened, the memories came flooding back. As though from far away, she heard the words:

 **Twins of death in cursed place stay.**

 **Lightning quest has just one day.**

 **A family united in spirits' home.**

 **Eldest twin with hunters will roam.**

 **Two quests to finish or peace will end.**

 **Beware the one who your brother calls friend.**

The Lightning bolt! The solstice deadline! It all came back to her. She got flashes of faces: a girl with blond hair and stormy grey eyes, a boy with black hair and bright green eyes, and a boy with a major hair issue and _hooves_? Eventually, the names returned to her: Annabeth, Percy, and Grover. She needed to find them; she needed to find the twins.

Ari looked down at the charm and noticed that it had stopped glowing, and the bracelet was no longer changing temperatures. She owed Triton big time. She grabbed her bag and made sure that she had packed everything back into it. Because she had been in the hotel for however long, she hadn't eaten any of the rations that had been packed for her since the bus ride.

After triple checking her room, she made her way to the elevator and down to the arcade. It didn't take long for her to be approached by one of the workers; however, now, she knew exactly where she was; the Lotus Hotel and Casino also known as the Lotus-eaters' Lair. There were five people that she needed to find, and she needed to find them fast.

 **oOo**

As it turned out, Percy was the first one that she came across. He was on the indoor basketball court playing a game of five on five. She ran on to the court yelling apologies as she went and pulled Percy away.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

Ari didn't listen as she continued to pull Percy after her. She was just lucky that he wasn't really trying that hard to get away. Eventually, she came across what she was looking for; one of the private game rooms. She flashed her casino card at the worker on duty and pulled Percy in after her. Once the door was locked, she grabbed Percy by both his arms and forced him to look at her.

"Percy, listen to me. You need to wake up!"

Percy tried to pull away. Who was this girl? What was she talking about?

"Who are you? What are you talking about? I am awake, and now, my team is down a player!"

"No, you are under a trance. Remember, the quest! Annabeth! Grover! Percy, wake up!"

 **oOo**

On Olympus, all the gods were still preparing for war. All the gods that is except for Hestia. Hestia saw no reason for the war. It was obvious to her that somebody was trying to pit the gods against each other and start a major war; however, she had no proof and no idea who would be trying to do this. It was because of all of this that Hestia was left in the Council hall watching over the quests. She looked up occasionally but really saw no change. It wasn't until around 8 pm on the 20th that things finally started to look up.

She first noticed that Ari was having a negative reaction to her wrist and wondered what could be going on. Deciding to get a closer look at the viewing image, Hestia stood up, dusted the ash and soot from her dress, and moved closer. While she didn't see anything weird going on with the bracelet, she could clearly see that Ari's wrist was irritated and was therefore starting to swell. Hestia continued to watch as Ari tried and failed to grab one of the lotuses. She couldn't help but smile and almost giggle at the look of annoyance that crossed Ari's face as she looked at her wrist again.

Wait, no, not her wrist, her bracelet? The bracelet looked perfectly normal to Hestia; however, Ari had obviously found something as she pulled one of the charms towards her. Hestia's eyes went wide when she saw the charm; the conch.

"Triton, you are playing a dangerous game," Hestia couldn't help but whisper to herself, but her smile remained in place. She knew that if Zeus found out about this, Triton would be in big trouble for breaking the rules, loopholes or not. However, she was happy that somebody was finally acting.

It was a matter of minutes later, that the haze that surrounded somebody under a trance seemed to lift from Ari, and Ari began to pack up her room. Hestia decided that it was time to call the council, it was almost midnight of the 21st, because it looked as though at least one of the quests was back on track.

Within ten minutes of her sending out the summons, the entire council was present; however, Hestia noticed that Triton had not arrived.

"Why are we here, Hestia?" Zeus questioned glaring at his older brother as he took his seat.

"See for yourself, brother," Hestia responded calmly while motioning to the viewing image.

As one, the council turned to see that Ari was dragging Percy. Hestia, in the meantime, returned to her hearth. Hopefully, the quests would now succeed, and the war would be avoided.

"Ari is out of the trance?!" Apollo stated nearly jumping in his seat.

"We can see that, idiot. The question is how did she snap out of it?" Artemis snapped though she like all the others looked relieved that things were back on track. Her hunters had been constantly asking for updates on the girl that they had all come to see as a little sister. It also didn't help that many of them felt the need to protect the child.

"How is not important right now," Zeus interjected before the twins could start one of their arguments.

Poseidon rolled his eyes, "No, the only thing that you care about is getting your stupid teddy bear back. Nevermind, that it might kill my son or Athena's daughter."

"Not to mention the danger that this is putting Ari in," Demeter pointed out.

Many of the gods, including said girl's parents, nearly flinched at the reminder.

"My bolt is important. Those two should be honored that they were given such an important assignment," Zeus huffed crossing his arms over his chest and sitting back in his throne while a couple of the other gods tried to hide their laughter at how immature the king of the gods looked right then.

All of the gods turned back to the image to watch Ari try to wake Percy up. Poseidon's eyes narrowed as he saw the faint glow of one of the charms on Ari's bracelet. He couldn't tell which charm it was until he got a clear look at Ari's wrist, and then, his eyes widened in recognition and a smile broke out on his face. He knew what was happening.

Only Athena saw the smile, and she decided not to say anything. It looked like whatever was happening was a good thing. She would question barnacle beard later.

 **oOo**

Percy was getting tired of this girl who would not let go of his wrists. Finally deciding that enough was enough, he managed to break her hold using strength that he didn't realize that he had, and when she went to grab him again, he grabbed her wrist. He was going to get answers, and then, she was going to leave him alone.

 **oOo**

Ari was frantic. Percy needed to wake up and soon otherwise there would be no point in leaving this place. In fact, she would probably be safer here than out there during World War III.

She knew that Percy was stronger than her, even though she had more training, just because he hadn't been abused or starved as child. Therefore, she wasn't that surprised when Percy finally managed to break her hold on him. In fact, she was shocked that he had put up with her for this long. What she did _not_ expect was for Percy to grab her right wrist when she was trying to stop him from leaving. She did _not_ expect the charm that started this mess to start glowing again and for Percy to get a glazed look in his eyes.

 **oOo**

Percy didn't know what was going on. One moment, he was trying to escape the strange girl that kept telling him to wake up, and the next, he had images flying through his mind. At first the images made absolutely no sense. They were of people that he had never met before: a blonde haired girl with stormy grey eyes, a crippled boy with an afro for hair, the images kept coming until-

"Mom."

The whisper was barely audible, but it was there. That image stayed the longest and was the first one that he could place. The woman in the image had bright blue eyes and curly brown hair. For some reason, Percy felt as though something bad had happened to her, but he couldn't remember what.

Eventually, the images sped up showing places (a museum, a smelly apartment, a school, and a camp for kids), more people (a man in a wheelchair; a big, tall girl with long, stringy light brown hair, pig-like brown eyes and strong looking; a cherub man, and many other children), and events (a warm glow from when he was little, a group of smelly men at a poker table, a cabin by a cold lake, a bull man chasing him and the woman that he now knew was his mom up a hill, a wall of lava, a giant black dog attacking him, a woman with snakes for hair- the memories continued on). Among the final images was the girl standing before him.

"Ari."

 **oOo**

Ari couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when she heard Percy say her name. Whatever that charm was doing, it was working. It was only a few minutes later that Percy came out of whatever trance he had been in. He blinked a few times, looking around as though confused about where he was. When he came back into focus, he noticed that he was still holding Ari's wrist in a very firm grip.

"Ari!" Percy yelled as he quickly released her wrist. "What are you doing here?"

As far as he knew, Ari was supposed to be on Mt. Olympus until the end of his quest.

"Apollo gave me a quest. Part of it is saving your quest," Ari responded as she tried to rub some feeling back into her wrist. It was definitely going to bruise.

Percy looked at her with a look of pure confusion, "Ok, but how did you know where to find me?"

"Honestly," Ari rolled her eyes. "The gods have nothing better to do apparently than argue and watch a quest that is supposed to prevent World War III. However, if I had to bet, I would say that because of how long we have more than likely been trapped in here, World War III is about to indeed start or is well underway. In which case, we would actually be safer just staying here probably."

Now it was Percy's turn to roll his eyes, "You're exaggerating. We've only been in here for a couple of hours. I mean yeah the place makes you forget everything, but there is no way that we have been in here for more than a week."

Ari glared at Percy with a look that almost had him flinching. Man for somebody so short she sure had a mean look when she wanted to.

"I'll have you know that you had already been in here five going on six days when I entered, and who knows how long ago that was. Now, do you wish to keep arguing this point, or do you wish to get out of here?"

Percy really had no argument for her, and he trusted his sister enough that he didn't think that she would be lying to him. Why would she lie to him about something like this anyways? The duo made their way back into the main part of the casino and began to look for Percy's two quest-mates. The first one that they found was Annabeth kicking butt on a quiz game. When it became apparent that she would be just about as easy to wake up as Percy was, Ari decided that she needed to continue on with her quest.

"Percy, can you handle waking her up?"

"Yeah, why?" Percy gave his sister a questioning look as he tried to maintain a grip on Annabeth whom they were dragging back to the private room.

"I need to find some kids while we are here. That is if this is the cursed place talked about in my prophecy."

Percy just nodded, "Go on, but you are going to have to explain this prophecy of yours later, ok?"

Ari just nodded before running off. She knew that once Percy woke Annabeth up, they would have no issues getting Grover and then their quest could continue. However, she couldn't move out on to LA without first finding the twins.

To say that Percy had the easier task, was an understatement. He knew who he was looking for, and while waking them up would be difficult, it wouldn't be impossible. Ari had no idea who she was looking for, and she had no idea how she was going to wake them up once she found them. All she knew was that she was looking for a set of twins. She didn't know if they were two girls, two boys, one of each, identical, fraternal, or even how old they were.

She wandered around the arcade section, the laser tag area, and the food court looking for the twins she was supposed to find. Ari saw quite a few sets of twins sitting around playing the various games, but none of them seemed like they would be children of death. She hadn't met her uncle or any of the other gods of the Underworld in person, but she had seen Hades through the Iris Messages. She was doing this based off the only Underworld god that she had met, and from what she had seen so far, the demigod children tended to at least resemble their godly parent; some more so than others.

After ten minutes of looking around the card games, she was about ready to move onto another section when she saw two kids sitting around in one of the private rooms. They were a girl and a boy who looked to be a little bit older than she herself was, probably closer to Percy in age. The girl was reading a book, and the boy was organizing a set of cards. However, something seemed to draw Ari to them that had not drawn her to the other kids that she had passed.

She knocked on the door and both of the kids looked up. They sent a silent look to each other before the boy walked over and opened the door.

"Yes?"

Ari had no idea what to actually say to these kids. She couldn't just ask them if they were children of a god of the Underworld. More than likely, they didn't even know that they were demigods; if they were.

"Sorry, my name's Ari, and I was just looking for some friends. They said they would meet me in the private rooms."

"Oh, well, we haven't seen anybody else but you. Why don't you come on in and wait with us?"

The boy pushed the door open to allow Ari access to the room. Once inside, Ari noticed what the cards were that she had noticed the boy playing with earlier.

"You're into Mythomagic?"

This innocent question had mixed results as Ari silently noticed. The boy immediately seemed to perk up and beamed at Ari. The girl, who had gone back to her book after Ari had entered the room, looked up and positively glared at Ari for the question. The phrase 'if looks could kill' passed through her mind.

"Yes! Do you know about it? What cards do you have? I have almost all of the figurines that have been created; I am only missing a few. Of course, they are the rarest ones. Do you want to play? If you don't know how, that's fine I can-"

"Nico! That's enough!" The girl finally seemed to have had enough of the endless prattle. "Let her answer your current questions first. And, are you even going to bother to introduce yourself."

The boy, Nico, seemed to blush at the reprimand from his sister. She on the other hand simply sighed, put a bookmark into her book and walked over to Ari.

"My name is Bianca, and this-" she tipped her head towards Nico. "is my little brother, Nico."

"Hey!" Nico shouted indignantly. "I'm not that much younger than you; only ten minutes!"

"That still makes you my little brother, Nico," Bianca sighed as though she had said this a hundred times before and knew that she would be saying it thousands of times more because he would never accept it.

"You're twins?" Ari questioned in surprise. She honestly hadn't expected them to be. Yeah, they bore a resemblance to each other, but Bianca acted so much more mature than Nico did. She thought that they would at least have a year between them.

"Yes, fraternal."

"Forgive me for asking, but do you know where your parents are?" Ari had to make sure and this was the only way that she could think of.

Bianca seemed to become more distrustful towards Ari at that question.

"Why do you ask? How are you even able to hold a conversation with us? Most people here can't focus on anything except the games and nobody else ever ages."

Ari's eyes widened. They weren't affected by the casino; at least not fully. From what Ari had experienced, that was next to impossible without outside interference. Somebody was protecting them.

"Do you know what year it is?"

Bianca scrunched up her face as though trying to remember a very fuzzy memory, "It's 193- no 194- err...ummm."

Ari shook her head and decided to help the poor girl.

"It's 2006, or at least it was when I entered the casino."

Both of their eyes widened in shock.

"That can't be true!"

"We've only been here for a year, maybe two."

Ari looked at them questioningly, not understanding how they came to that conclusion. Bianca caught the look.

"As I said earlier, nobody here seems to do anything except play games, and nobody except the two of us seem to age. We were placed in here when we ten. Do we _look_ like we are almost 80 years old?!"

By the end of the rant, Bianca was almost yelling. Ari winced in sympathy; this was a shock for anybody.

"You never answered my earlier question," Ari pointed out.

Bianca glared at her, Nico was picking up his cards and trying to stay out of his sister's war path.

"What question?"

"Your parents. Do you know them?"

"We're orphans. My question?"

"Can you repeat it please?"

"How are you able to talk to us?"

Ari sighed and motioned for Nico and Bianca to take a seat at the table. She was going to follow her gut that was saying that these were the twins she was looking for. There was something about them that was telling her that they were who she was looking for, but she couldn't pinpoint it.

"You guys have obviously noticed that you are different from everybody else here."

The two nodded, Bianca giving her a 'no duh' look.

"That's because unlike you two, me, and my three friends, everybody else here is fully mortal."

"What do you mean by fully mortal?"

"I mean-have you ever noticed anything weird happen around you. Animals behaving weirdly, elements acting funny, things that when you bring up to those around you, nobody believes you?"

Nico and Bianca exchanged startled looks before turning back to Ari and nodding.

"How do you know all of that?"

That clinched it, they were either magical or demigods. Ari was leaning more towards demigods. Therefore, even if they weren't the twins, she wasn't going to leave them here.

"I know because you are like me and my friends, you're demigods."

"Demigods?" Bianca asked skeptically. She obviously knew the meaning of the term and was not believing Ari to be serious.

Ari nodded, "Yep, one of your parents is a god or goddess."

"Awesome!" Nico shouted jumping up and down.

"Nico, sit down. We aren't demigods!" Bianca snapped before turning back to Ari. "Honestly, who are you to come in here and start lying to us about who our parents are? Our parents died when we were little, and we were left a large trust fund. We are not demigods, and you will leave now. I'm sure your friends are looking for you."

Before Ari could say anything, she was being pushed towards the door; however, when they opened it, it was to pure chaos. Children and adults were running everywhere trying to escape the building that had somehow caught fire. The workers looked less than happy and seemed to be having an internal struggle between helping the mortals, who all seemed to have snapped out of their trances when the fire alarms went off, and keeping them there.

"We need to go," Ari shouted grabbing Bianca and Nico's wrists. "Now!"

The trio made their way to the door; Ari kept her eyes open trying to find her brother, sister, and the satyr. It wasn't easy with the mass crowd that was completely in a panic. Once outside and across the street, Ari began to look in earnest. She had to make sure that they got out though she had the feeling that they were the cause of the fire to begin with.

Nico and Bianca seemed to be in almost a shock as they looked around outside. Bianca had stopped trying to escape Ari's grip and was now holding on tighter to both her and Nico. In the end, it was Percy that found her.

"Ari, over here!"

Ari turned towards the shout and noticed her brother, sister and Grover were waving her over. They were about three blocks away from the Lotus Hotel and Casino and looking anxious to get further away.

"You got out ok?"

Ari nodded, "What happened?"

Annabeth glared at Percy, "This idiot came up with the bright idea to set fire to the place to get the mortals out of there. Before I could stop him, he took out a camp lighter that Hercules had included in the bag of supplies we were given and started to set fire to the potted plants."

Ari stared in shock at her brother.

"You do realize that most of these people have been missing since whenever they went in there right? How are they going to explain that?"

Percy shrugged, "I don't know, but don't mortals normally find ways to explain stuff like this? Chiron called it the fog or something. Anyways, you can't say that you agree with how they were trapping mortals and demigods for eternity in there."

Annabeth looked about ready to throttle Percy, so Ari stepped in though she would have sided with Annabeth on this one.

"The Mist, Percy, and that is for completely mythological incidents. Like the monsters or seeing demigods sword fighting. _Not_ for more than 5000 people from multiple decades past popping up out of thin air! Whether we agree with what they are doing or not, is completely beside the point."

Percy suddenly seemed to realize just how badly he had messed up.

"What's going to happen?"

"Don't know. More than likely either the gods or the United States Ministry for Magic will step in. Either way, you have just created a lot of work for a lot of people to clean this up."

This entire argument/discussion, Nico and Bianca had remained quiet and listened. They didn't understand where they were or more specifically when they were. Grover seemed to have been the only one of the trio to realize that they were there and had been looking at them in shock while the half-siblings were talking.

"Ari, where did you find them?" Grover asked almost in shock and fear.

Ari looked at Grover in confusion before following his gaze over to Bianca and Nico.

"Oh, this is Bianca and Nico. They are the twin half-bloods that I was sent to find."

"You do realize who they are, right? This is bad, very, very bad."

"Sent to find?" Annabeth questioned just seeming to realize who it was exactly that was with them. "What are you even doing here, Ari? Shouldn't you be on Olympus?"

"Later, has anybody checked the date?" Ari had a feeling that her instincts about the twins were dead on and wanted to get out of here fast.

The group shook their heads, and began to look around for some sign of how long they were in the casino for. Nico and Bianca were experiencing an extreme case of culture shock and just followed the group. While Bianca didn't exactly trust Ari, she would admit that Ari had been truthful to them and seemed to care about them. It didn't take long to find out the date by looking at one of the electric signs in front of another casino and hotel. The good news, World War III hadn't started yet; the bad news, they had less than 24 hours to complete this quest before it did start.

"We need to get to LA, fast!" Annabeth said.

She seemed to do a quick head count in her head and decided on something. She led them over to the front of one of the lines of limos waiting outside the casino they had stopped in front of. She walked over to a driver and said straightened up to her full height.

"Excuse me, sir."

The driver turned towards them, "Yes, ma'am. How can I help you tonight?"

"My friends and I need a ride to LA, can you recommend anybody?"

The driver looked over at our group and seemed to count heads before turning back to Annabeth.

"Are you parents alright with this?"

Annabeth nodded, "They sent us here to visit some cousins but we need to get home now. Can you help us?"

The man nodded, "I can, but I am going to have to get paid up front because of the distance."

"That's fine, do you take casino cards?"

"Depends, let me swipe it and see."

Annabeth handed over her card and the driver walked over to his limo to run it through. Ari and Annabeth watched as the machine read the card and the infinity sign appeared. The driver immediately straightened up and turned back to the girls with wide eyes.

"Where to...ummm?"

"Annabeth, the Santa Monica Pier."

With that, the rest of us were ushered into the limo and we were off to LA. The four almost five hour drive through the Mojave Desert was anything but boring.

"So, do you want to tell what you were doing in Las Vegas when we know for a fact you were summoned to Mt. Olympus?" Annabeth asked turning towards her younger sister. She really hoped that Ari hadn't just snuck out to find them.

Ari crossed her arms and nearly glared at her siblings, "If you truly wish to know, I was given a prophecy by Apollo and told to find you guys in Vegas."

The trio's and the twin's eyes all widened.

"Wait!" Bianca nearly shouted. "Prophecies are real?"

The group all nodded, Grover decided to explain.

"Prophecies are indeed rare and to be given one is no matter to be taken lightly. Percy here got a prophecy that sent us on our quest and Ari has obviously received one that sent her after you two."

Bianca sent a look at Ari that screamed 'explain, now!'

" **Twins of death in cursed place stay.**

 **Lightning quest has just one day.**

 **A family united in spirits' home.**

 **Eldest twin with hunters will roam.**

 **Two quests to finish or peace will end.**

 **Beware the one who your brother calls friend."**

By the end, everybody was deep in contemplation.

"That explains what I feel from those two," Grover stated motioning to the twins.

Ari gave him a questioning look.

"They reek of death, Ari. I would say that you lucked out and found the twins you were looking for."

"Honestly, how many trapped demigod twins could be in that place?"

Grover shrugged, "Don't know. But, the Lotus-eaters have been trapping people for millenias, so more than likely more than one.

"So, you are heading to the Underworld?" Percy questioned changing the topic, sort of.

Ari nodded.

"Cool, we can all just go together."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to hit Percy.

" _No_ , we can't all just 'go together,' Percy. You've seen how many monsters we have had to face with just the three of us, now imagine doubling that. We would make an even bigger target because of Ari being who she is and the twins being untrained."

"Besides, they are two separate quests. They just happen to overlap in the middle," Ari pointed out.

"What exactly does twins of death mean?" Bianca questioned.

"It means that your godly parent is a god or goddess of the Underworld. That is why Ari has to escort you there," Grover explained. "She has explained to you about you being demigods right?"

The twins nodded.

"Alright, now, Percy what was that dream in the truck that you wanted to talk about?" Annabeth interjected getting back to a conversation that she and Percy had been about to have before they arrived in Vegas.

"Ummm…." Percy scrunched up his face as though trying to remember. While, thanks to Triton, he had his memories back after the trance, he was still having difficulty remembering some of the small details of events from right before they entered the casino. Ari didn't quite understand why because she had all of her memories; no problems. "I remember a pit with a voice coming out of it, and the servant called the voice something. The servant's voice also sounded very familiar."

"Well, if it was Lord Hades, then he could have been called The Silent One or The Rich One. They are both names used for him," Annabeth pointed out.

Ari had a bad sense of deja vu as she remembered the dream that she had before leaving for Mt. Olympus.

"The Crooked One?" Ari whispered remembering the name used to describe the king of the titans in mythology.

Percy's eyes widened in shock, "That's it! How did you know?"

Ari then went into an explanation of her dreams the night before they all left camp.

"Did you tell the gods?"

Ari shook her head, "With everything else that was going on, I completely forgot to. I mean that first day we were busy watching you guys get repeatedly attacked, the second day I wasn't on Olympus, same with the third day, day four we were watching you guys get into trouble in St. Louis, and then I had to leave on day five. There wasn't really a good chance to bring it up."

The trio's eyes seemed like they were going to remain wide for a while yet.

"You've been watching us?"

Ari couldn't help but giggle as she nodded, "Yep, as I told Percy. The gods seem to have nothing better to do right now. After all, this is a quest to determine their future, they have a lot invested in it. Also, they have to get their entertainment from somewhere."

"Does that mean they are watching us right now?" Nico questioned looking around as though he would spot them in the shadows.

Ari shrugged, "Probably. After all, none of them were happy with Apollo sending me out on this quest, and they are still worried about whether or not these three will succeed or not."

"All of that aside, Ari when we get back, you have to tell the gods about your dreams," Annabeth reminded.

Ari just nodded. They needed to know and she should have told them before she left.

The rest of the ride was spent trying to figure out plans once they got to Santa Monica Pier. It was finally decided that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover would head off to meet the messenger that Poseidon had sent. Ari, Nico, and Bianca would try and make their way to the Underworld.

 **oOo**

Olympus was in absolute chaos as the gods tried to make sense of what they had just learned from the kids on their way to LA. They had all anxiously watched as Ari tried to convince the twins to go with her. Zeus had nearly exploded when he realized exactly who those kids were.

"I ordered him to kill them or take them to camp! How dare he defy me!"

"Like you wouldn't have done the same, brother," Poseidon pointed out. "You are the one that turned your daughter into a tree when she was dying to keep her alive."

Sensing another argument coming, Hestia decided to intervene.

"What I would like to know is did anybody else know about these dreams? Both young Perseus' and Ari's."

The group all shook their heads except for Triton. Poseidon noticed this.

"Explain, son."

"One of her dreams sent her into one of Perseus' dreams. I merely pulled her out and talked to her. However, she was then pulled into another one. I tried to pull her back to me, but it didn't work. Something was drawing her away."

"This is bad, very, very bad. If _he_ is-"

"Don't even say it, Athena," Zeus interrupted. "We all know what it would be like if _he_ were to rise again."

"Brother, you can't deny that so far everything points to-"

"Let's not draw conclusions where there are none. We wait. We will talk to both the demigods, listen to their dreams, and _then_ make a decision."

With that they turned back to the image. All thoughts of war between Poseidon and Zeus quickly being put aside in favor of the war that might be upon them already; a much worse war.

 **oOo**

The group arrived just before sunrise at Santa Monica Pier.

"Now, be careful Ari. We really don't want to have to explain to the gods why you were seriously injured or worse on this quest."

Ari just nodded and rolled her eyes. After the plans had been finalized Annabeth and Grover had spent the remainder of the trip trying to remind Ari of her training and giving her helpful advice for any trouble that she might get into. It seemed to her that the only situation that they hadn't planned for was if the sky should suddenly fall.

Ari led Nico and Bianca into the main part of Santa Monica. She had no idea where they were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld, but she knew that they needed to find it. After walking for a few hours. Ari pulled them into a park to have breakfast; they hadn't eaten since the casino. It wasn't anything fancy; just a few breakfast burritos that Demeter and Hestia had prepared. But, them and some of the apple juice was perfect.

After breakfast, Ari decided that they needed to probably head into the main part of LA and grabbed them a cab. Like Annabeth before her, Ari used her casino card. They were dropped off and continued to walk around. It didn't take long before Ari noticed that something was off with the twins.

"What's wrong?"

Ari looked at them and noticed that they were staring off at something. All Ari could see however was the passing tourists on their way to the many attractions that LA had to offer.

"There's a man over there waving at us. He wants us to follow him," Bianca whispered and subtly pointed.

Ari looked to where she was pointing, but didn't see anything, and she said as much.

"That's what we were afraid of. Nobody ever believes us, but we do see them," Nico nearly whined.

Ari thought for a moment before something dawned on her.

"This is what you guys meant when you said yes to my question about if weird things happened to you, isn't it?"

The twins nodded not taking their eyes off whatever it was that they were seeing.

Ari decided to make an executive decision, "Follow him, let's see where he leads us. But, you two are going to have to lead because I really can't see him. Daughter of the sea here; not a daughter of death."

Bianca and Nico looked at her in what could only be shock.

"What?"

"You believe us?" Bianca asked still not trusting Ari completely.

"Yes, why wouldn't I?"

"Because, you can't see them. Nobody ever believes us," Nico pointed out.

"Guys, I have seen some very weird things in just this past year alone, trust me when I say that this isn't the weirdest thing by far. Now, lead on before we lose him."

The group followed the invisible...beings until they were led into what looked like an ordinary recording studio. However, Ari knew that they were at the right place just based on the sign.

"DOA Recording Studio," Ari read as they stopped outside the door. "No Solicitors, No Loitering, No Living. Well aren't they being a bit obvious."

The twins turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Nico asked. He seemed to be almost nervous.

"I mean, if this is the entrance to the Underworld, then, the sign is a bit obvious. No living...only the dead are allowed to enter the Underworld; though, that hasn't stopped demigods from trying. DOA in emergency terms means dead on arrival another jab at the fact that only the dead would willingly come here."

"Why are we here? I thought your quest was just to find us and get Percy's back on track?" Nico questioned.

Bianca answered before Ari could, "Nico, that was only part of the prophecy, the rest said something about a family reunion where the spirits live."

"Spirits! Of course!"

Nico and Bianca turned to look at Ari as though she was crazy.

"No, it makes sense!" Ari reassured. "Think about it. You two are twins of a god of death. We followed something that only the two of you can see-"

"We can see the spirits of the dead!" Nico all but shouted in joy.

Ari nodded.

"That actually makes sense," Bianca stated as she looked deep in thought. "That would explain why whenever we point them out nobody else can see them. It's because technically they shouldn't be seen. We can only see them because of who our parent is."

Ari smiled at Bianca.

"You seem to be taking this much better."

Bianca's contemplative look quickly turned into a glare that she leveled at Ari; Ari had to stop herself from flinching.

"It's not like I have much of a choice considering the fact that you dragged us out of the casino and then on a four almost five hour limo drive. Plus, with everything suddenly making sense as you explain things, why wouldn't I start to accept the fact that I belong to a group of misfits."

Ari shook her head, "Not misfits. Just unique and definitely gifted."

"Misfits."

"Look, Bianca, you and Nico aren't the only ones with a unique gift. Percy and I can both control water. I know of a group of kids that are able to control plants and make them grow strawberries. Another group of kids are able to forge anything out of any material. It depends on who your parent is. You are not a misfit or a freak. You are gifted. Now, do you want to meet your parent?"

It seemed that Ari's talk got through at least somewhat to Bianca because she stopped glaring so hard and nodded. Together the group entered the recording studio.

Once inside, Ari was able to make out the fuzzy, shimmering forms that had to be the spirits. They were easiest to make out when she didn't look at them directly. There were hundreds of them filling up nearly every inch of available space in the lobby. Muzak played in the background but nobody really paid much attention to it. The carpet and walls were steel gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. Overall, it was a very depressing atmosphere for a very depressing place. Nobody talked, nobody really moved. The only person that was moving was the man behind the security officer's desk. The desk was on a raised platform so everybody was forced to look up at him.

The man wore a grey silk Italian suit and obviously took great pride in his appearances. He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag, which read Charon, and completed the look. He was obviously somebody that demanded respect; and a rather large pay check.

"How may I help you young ones?"

The trio looked at each other and Ari decided that she needed to be the one to step forward since it was her quest.

"We have an appointment with Lord Hades," Ari stated causing the man to look up.

"An appointment you sa-" He began with a disbelieving tone but then caught a good glance of Bianca and Nico. "Are those-?"

Ari nodded, "Now, are you going to escort us in or should I Iris Message him and have him come here himself?"

Charon paled, "That won't be necessary just let me grab my key card-" he began to hustle around shutting down his computer, grabbing his key card, and locking down the radio. "Right this way."

The group made their way over to the locked elevator. Once inside, Charon swiped his card and the elevator began to descend at a rapid pace. The ride didn't last long; however, the further down they went, the mistier the air seemed to become. As they went, Ari noticed that Charon's appearance changed. No longer was he the immaculately dressed man that they had met in the recording studio. He was now dressed in a long black robe. His eyes were no longer covered by sunglasses, but were empty sockets totally dark, full of night and death and despair.

Once the elevator reached the end of its descent, they boarded a boat and began the ferry ride down into the heart of the heart of the Underworld. The river was polluted with what seemed to be a mess of random belongings that had been cast aside.

"You would think that mortals would care more about the environment but no. They come here with incomplete goals and dreams never recognized. Its a pity and there is no real way to clean the river."

The ferry ride didn't last long and when the reached the end, Ari half expected for Charon to leave them to find their own way. However, he merely stepped off the boat and motioned for them to follow him.

He led them past the lines of the dea that were waiting to be judged. There were three entrances. Two of the entrances had the sign attendant on duty and one said EZ Death. The EZ Death line was moving at a quicker pace than the other two but those people would wind up in the Fields of Asphodel. Those that were judged would go into any of the three destinations: the Fields of Asphodel, the Fields of Punishment, and the Fields of Elysium. All three entrances had metal detectors and security cameras.

"We have had to come up with new ways to control the influx of newly deceased over the years. We eventually decided that not everybody needed to be judged and if people were not comfortable with it then they could just go straight into the Fields of Asphodel. After all, that is where pretty much everybody winds up anyways," Charon explained as he led them through the masses.

When Ari caught sight of Cerberus, all she could think was the was grateful that Fluffy hadn't been that big and that Hagrid had told them how to get past him.

After they got past the Judgement Pavilion, the Palace of Hades came into view. Ari could immediately see where Hades had got the inspiration for it; it looked almost exactly like the Palace on Mount Olympus. The outer walls of the palace were glittered black and if Ari had to guess the palace was made out of obsidian. It gave the palace a black glass look. The two-story-tall bronze gates that stood wide open led them into what could only be the garden of Persephone. The garden was full of all sorts of plants, poisonous shrubs and mushrooms, and plants that seemed to somehow glow in the dark. The garden was decorated with precious jewels of all shapes and sizes and there were grotesque statues that could have only come from Medusa scattered around. In the center of the garden was the infamous Pomegranate trees and Ari and Bianca had to pull Nico away from them. Ari had no idea if they affect children of the Underworld the same way that they affected everybody else.

They walked up the steps of the palace, in between black columns of basalt and the portico that was created out of black marble. The inside of the palace was just as grand as the outside. The entry hall had a bronze floor that had obviously been polished recently. There was no ceiling in the entry hall letting them see all the way up to the cavern roof above. Ari was strongly reminded of the palace in Atlantis.

Charon led them through the entrance hall and to another set of bronze doors that were engraved with scenes of war and death. Ari had a feeling that these scenes weren't even the worst ones that could have been put up.

Ari chanced a glance over at Bianca and Nico and while Nico still looked over excited and Bianca still looked distrusting, both looked like they were extremely nervous. Honestly, she could understand how they felt. She had after all felt the same way when she had first met her parents just a few weeks ago.

Charon knocked on the doors and within seconds they heard a sharp "enter" from within. The doors opened on their own accord and Ari felt her eyes widen at the sight of the throne room. The floor was the same black marble that she had noticed at the entrance. The walls and pillars were made of basalt and decorated with precious stones and basalt. The pillars had engravings of more scenes of death. The throne was made of fused human bones and on it sat Hades.

Hades and Charon both watched in amusement as the three children took in the throne room. After a few minutes, Hades decided to bring their attention back to him.

"There will be time to take in the details of my palace later children, but right now, I believe that we are on a limited schedule."

The three children turned back to the gods with embarrassed looks. Hades merely smirked and turned towards Charon.

"Go and await the quest. Stall it, but do eventually let them in; preferably without them knowing that you are purposefully letting them in."

Charon grinned an almost evil grin, "As you wish."

After he left, Hades turned his full attention back onto the children. He had honestly never thought that this day would come.

"First of all, Ari thank you for bringing Bianca and Nico here."

Ari just nodded, she didn't really know what to say. If it hadn't been for the quest, she never would have even known let alone thought about rescuing the twins.

"Do you know who their parent is?"

Hades pinned her with a knowing look and looked as though he was just stopping himself from laughing in amusement.

"Can you not figure it out? Can you not see the resemblance?"

"You!?" Ari all but shouted. Nico and Bianca looked shocked too.

"Yes, me." Here Hades seemed to gain a look of almost pure pain. "They are mine. I had them placed in the casino shortly after the second World War to protect them from my youngest brother. It was always my plan to let them out when it was safe again."

The last part was said in almost a whisper but all three kids caught it.

"So, you do care about us?" Nico asked moving to stand next to Ari instead of behind her.

Hades seemed to hesitate for the briefest of moments. Ari had a feeling that he wasn't used to talking about feelings.

"I care about you and your sister," He finally started to respond. "That is why I placed you in the casino. It was the only safe place where you wouldn't be found easily."

"What happened to mom?" Bianca asked.

Hades gained a look of pure fury and Ari had to restrain herself from grabbing Nico and Bianca and running.

"She was killed. That is all you need to know for now."

"But-"

"No, that is not a topic of conversation for today."

The trio knew that there would be no arguing with him. He turned his attention back to Ari.

"Did you tell the council about what happened that night?"

Ari didn't have to ask what night he was talking about.

"No, sir. I kind of forgot with everything else that was going on."

Hades nodded as though he expected that.

"You will tell them when you return?"

"Yes, sir. Both Percy and I will tell them what we have dreamed."

Hades nodded and then motioned for them to follow him.

"Come, let us have lunch before the quest arrives."

The conversation was kept light during lunch and they were almost finished when one of the Furies came in.

"My Lord, they are here. Charon has just loaded them into the boat."

"Understood Alecto. Go and greet our guests."

"Yes, My Lord."

With that, she flew out of the room followed by her two sisters. Nico and Bianca just stared after her with slack jaws and wide eyes.

"You will grow used to it. Do not worry though, she will not harm you," Hades reassured his children as he stood. "Now, come let us head to the throne room to meet the quest."

With that, the group made their way to the throne room. Ari just hoped that Percy didn't do anything to upset Hades when he was in a pleasant mood from being reunited with his children.


	22. Chapter 21

**Let's continue. I know they ate last chapter; I have plans.**

 **I own nothing!**

 **Chapter 21**

"Now, when the quest arrives, the three of you need to remain silent. No matter what, you _cannot_ interfere," Hades warned as they made their way quickly into the throne room. The three children were doing their best to keep up with his longer strides. "Do you three understand?"

All three nodded. Nico and Bianca seemed to still be in a semi-shocked state over having a living parent, and Ari really didn't want to get on the bad side of one of her relatives. It was not a good way to start off eternity.

The wait that was expected to only last ten maybe fifteen minutes took almost 45 minutes. Something had happened. Ari watched as Hades prepared for the arrival of the quest; she honestly thought that he was going a bit overboard and turning it into a huge spectacle. He summoned a bunch of his skeleton soldiers from different eras to stand around the room, and then, he sent a few to stand outside the front doors and the doors to the throne room. He spoke briefly to the three Furies, but none of the kids could hear what was said.

Once all this was done, he made himself comfortable on his throne of bones. Next to his throne was an empty, smaller throne. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold; it was the throne of Queen Persephone. Ari kind of wished that she could meet the kind queen.

When he saw Ari, Nico and Bianca's startled looks he responded with a shrug, "I do have a reputation to keep. Can't have the demigods thinking they can come in here demanding things whenever they want."

It sort of made sense, Ari conceded. If he didn't make it appear as uninviting as possible, demigods would have been coming down here demanding the return of their dead loved ones and other things that went against nature. No, it was best to discourage that from the beginning.

After a while, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover arrived and looked thoroughly spooked. Ari wondered, yet again, what had happened to delay them. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. Hades was in his seat at full god height; Nico, Bianca and Ari were off to the side staying out of the way as ordered. Percy and Annabeth caught sight of them and almost seemed to sigh in relief. Ari gave them a small smile but had to wonder why they were so relieved to see her here. Of course, her question had to wait until later.

Ari watched as the trio made their way towards the throne froze upon seeing Hades sitting on his throne. It took a few seconds, but they seemed to come to a group conclusion and moved forward together. Ari just prayed to any god that would listen that Percy would remember his manners; she thought she saw Hades give a small smirk. Annabeth and Grover bowed before Hades, but Percy just stood there, and Ari almost facepalmed; this wasn't going to end well.

"You are either very brave or very foolish to come here, son of Poseidon," Hades stated in an oily voice that almost sounded bored. "After what you have done to me, I would have thought you would know better than to show yourself. What's more, you show me no respect."

Ari was curious about the first part of that statement, what had Percy done to Hades? She noticed that Annabeth had picked up on the word choice as well.

"Bow, Percy," Annabeth hissed under her breathe, but in the pressing silence, the whole room heard it.

"You would do well to listen to the daughter of Athena. However, I can be a merciful god," Hades stated before turning to Grover and Annabeth. "You two may rise, and all three of you may approach."

The trio moved forward with looks that could clearly be classified as looks of confusion.

"Lord Hades, what do you mean 'what Percy did to you?'" Annabeth asked the very question Ari had been thinking while motioning for Percy to keep quiet.

Ari agreed that something was off, and if Percy's attitude since walking in the door was anything to go by, Annabeth was the best one to do the talking. However, Annabeth's question seemed to have the opposite of the desired effect. All of the demigods watched as Hades' aura became darker and his facial expressions turned from merely annoyed and indifferent to fully furious and angry.

Ari flinched back so hard that she whacked her head against the stone wall. She didn't realize this because she could almost feel a faint throbbing coming from the scars on her back. Her scars had been healed by Madame Pomfrey after the first Quidditch game; however, she would never forget the pain that she had been put through. She had learned that lesson well: an angry adult was a violent, and the fact that Lord Hades was a god made him all the more dangerous when angered.

"YOU DARE TO PLAY IGNORANT!" Hades yelled standing up and making his way to stand before the three quest members who had all taken a few giant steps back. The floor trembled and debris fell from the ceiling of the cavern above. Hades was getting angrier by the second, and more than likely, Los Angeles was going to be experiencing some earthquakes from this. "WELL, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING! I DON'T WANT A WAR! I HAVE ENOUGH CITIZENS TO LOOK AFTER WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE INFLUX FROM THE MASSACRE THAT WOULD OCCUR IF MY TWO IDIOTIC YOUNGER BROTHERS DECIDED TO GO AT IT!"

Nico and Bianca backed up so that they were next to Ari against the wall, and all three moved so that they were more behind the thrones than next to them. Their goal: to make themselves as small and invisible as possible. No need to become a target.

Ari started to hyperventilate as Lord Hades' anger sent her back into memories that she would much rather forget. As she watched Lord Hades stand over the trio, anger clear in his eyes, reality faded away and Lord Hades was replaced by Vernon, the quest trio vanished and the scenery became the kitchen of number 4 Privet Drive. Before she knew it, Vernon was standing over her yelling, threatening, and turning the violent shade of purple that Ari had come to associate with danger, blood, and scars. Ari was no longer paying attention to what was going on in the throne room as she was trapped in her mind in the past.

Bianca and Nico were staring at Ari wide eyed as they tried to figure out how to help her; however, neither had an idea of what to do. Bianca reached out to place an awkward hand on the strange girl's shoulder, but pulled back sharply when the girl flinched violently away. What was causing the girl to act this way? Surely, she knew that Lord Hades, she had difficulty thinking of him as father, would not hurt them. He was mad at the idiot boy. The boy should have known not to yell at an already angry god. Even Nico was being serious for once!

Percy didn't seem to have the same thought process.

"I don't understand. We are just here to retrieve Zeus' bolt. If you returned it to us, we could return it to him, and there would be _no_ war. All sides would be happy," Percy piped up.

Bianca wanted to facepalm; this boy was truly an idiot. Annabeth really did facepalm, and Grover looked at Percy as though to ask him if he was fully sane. While Percy had made a few good points, Bianca had a feeling Lord Hades didn't have the bolt. In fact, something else was going on here.

The visible black aura surrounded Hades letting all know that he was _not_ happy with what Percy had just stated. Ari flinched violently, dove under the smaller of the two thrones, and curled up as small as she could in the corner behind the thrones. She didn't seem to realize what she was doing, and Bianca was becoming more worried as her gaze remained glazed over and she continued to tremble violently. Bianca turned back towards Lord Hades and really just wanted this to end soon so that everybody would calm down. The aura continued to grow darker, and Bianca was pretty sure if he didn't get it under control soon, the pulsing that it was doing was going to lead to an outlash in power that nothing mortal could hope to survive.

Hades seemed to realize this and took a few seconds to calm himself. He was still unhappy and extremely angry, but he was no longer radiating power that could potentially kill the six mortals in the room.

"I do not have by brother's giant electric teddy bear! In fact, I am insulted that you would accuse me of having it when you carry it in your possession," Hades sneered through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean? I don't have the bolt!" Percy all but yelled at the enraged god.

This was so not going to end well. This boy really needed to learn some self-preservation or at least how to tell when _not_ to say something that could further anger the already furious god.

"Did you honestly think that I would not sense the power of the Master bolt the second that it entered my domain? You are a foolish and arrogant boy; open your bag."

For once, Percy did as told without comment. All the mortals, except Ari, watched; expecting to see camping supplies and rations, but instead, Percy opened it and revealed-

"The Master bolt. Now, hand over the bolt and return my helm, and I shall let you and your quest leave in peace."

This final statement shocked all. None of them had realized that Hades had something stolen from him as well. Annabeth was thinking that it did make sense if somebody was trying to pit the gods against each other. Make a full circle of it.

"Someone has taken you helm, Lord Hades?" Annabeth questioned. Bianca could see she was trying to find a way out of this.

"Like you didn't already know this," Hades snarled sounding almost like one of the hellhounds that had entered the room sometime during the confrontation.

"B-but, we didn't, Lord Hades, sir," Grover finally piped up.

"LIES!" Hades all but roared before turning his full attention on Percy. "I know why you are really here, Perseus Jackson. You don't really care about retrieving my brother's bolt; all that you care about is her-"

Hades stated this while motioning with his hands towards the thrones behind him. In the space just in front of the two thrones, an orb of golden light had appeared. Inside of the orb, there seemed to be a woman. Bianca had no idea what was going on; however, based on the expression on Percy's face, he knew the woman. His next statement only confirmed that.

"Mom," was the whispered response. Percy almost seemed to have to force himself not to walk towards the woman.

Bianca took a closer look and noticed that the woman was very beautiful with long brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. However, right now those eyes were filled with immense sadness as she watched her son. She could not speak to him, but she seemed to almost be begging him to leave her and get himself out.

Hades pulled Percy and Bianca out of their thoughts with an ultimatum that could only be described as cruel.

"The choice is yours, son of Poseidon, hand over the Master bolt and my helm, and I will release your mother. Or continue with this charade of yours, and your mother remains here with me forever and you alone will be responsible for it. I will give you a few minutes to decide."

With this, Hades walked back over to his throne and sat down. It was then that he turned his full attention on the other three children in the room who were trying to hide behind Lady Persephone's throne, or in Ari's case, under it. He looked closer and noticed that Ari was shaking and did not seem to be aware of what was going on around her, if her glazed eyes were anything to go by. He sighed to himself; he would deal with the repercussions of letting his anger get the better of him later. Right now, it was taking all of his will power not to just smite the boy where he stood. That definitely would not help whatever Ari was struggling with.

The conversation (argument) going on between the members of the quest could almost be considered amusing if it wasn't so serious a situation.

"I will stay, you need to rescue your mother and get the bolt back to Olympus!" Annabeth was arguing.

"No, it's my job as protector; I will stay," Grover argued right back.

Percy for his part just seemed to be looking back and forth between him mom, his friends, and Hades. Eventually though, his eyes landed on Ari, and while he looked worried about her condition, he also seemed to have made a decision.

"Neither of you are staying," Percy finally announced bring the argument to an abrupt halt. All eyes turned to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out three pearls and handed one to each of his companions. He took a deep breathe, and then turned to the others in the room. "Ari, don't wait up for us. Get yourself back to New York."

Ari nodded, though nobody could actually tell if it was in response to him or what was happening in her mind.

"Mom," Percy hesitated before firming himself. "I'm sorry."

The woman merely nodded and gave him a look that clearly said she was proud of him.

"Uncle Hades," Hades seemed shocked at being addressed in such a casual way. Especially after the ultimatum that he had just given the boy. "I will find your helm and return it to you. Now!"

Hades snapped out of his shock just as all three of the questers dropped their pearls and stepped on them.

"Seize them!"

The skeleton soldiers and hellhounds rushed forward. However, it was already too late, the three were already gone, floating up through the ceiling in bubbles.

For a few minutes there was nothing but silence in the throne room as the skeletons and hellhounds looked to Hades for instructions. Nico was staring at the ceiling in awe and wonder. Bianca was watching Hades with cautious eyes; she didn't know how angry he was going to be over Percy's insolence. Ari was still out of it. After a few moments, Hades finally turned to the three children hiding behind his throne.

"Nico, Bianca, come on out of there," he instructed as he approached his niece.

The girl was clearly not in the present and probably hadn't been for the majority of the meeting.

"Ari, you need to come back to the present. You are safe, come back," he whispered to her. He did not touch her.

Nico and Bianca watched as Hades continued to call to the girl that had brought them here and now seemed to be somehow trapped.

 **oOo**

" _YOU UNGRATEFUL FREAK!" Uncle Vernon yelled as he reigned blow after blow onto her already sore back._

 _Ari could do nothing but bite her lip in an attempt to keep silent and hope that Uncle Vernon would tire out soon. She knew by now if she made a sound it would just anger him further, and he always seemed to go for longer when that happened. She knew this by now. After all, this had been her life for at least the past four years._

 _She bit through her tongue as the buckle of the belt that was being used caught some already abused skin and snagged. Her uncle gave a sharp tug pulling out the belt along with a good chunk of skin._

" _WE GAVE YOU ONE SIMPLE TASK,TO MAKE DINNER, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN MANAGE THAT!"_

 _Every other word was accented with a strike by the belt. At least he was slowing down, at the beginning every word was marked by a strike her her back._

 _Ari knew that she deserved this punishment. She had burnt the food that was meant to be her relatives' dinner. It was supposed to be a celebratory dinner because Dudley was starting school tomorrow, and Ari had burned it._

 _Of course, Ari was starting school tomorrow as well, and that was part of the problem. She had been daydreaming about what school would be like and hadn't paid enough attention to the food. As a result, the Dursleys had had to eat out, and Ari had been locked in her cupboard with the threat of a punishment that night._

 _However, she couldn't help but want the comfort of unconsciousness. She knew that if she fell into the comfortable blackness that her uncle would stop because it did not good to beat somebody that wasn't even aware of it. With the blackness, there was no pain. Ari had come to look to the blackness for the comfort that she knew she would never get from her family._

 _The blows continued and eventually, her uncle moved from the belt to his fist and feet. He tended to do this once his arms got tired. With his hands, he didn't care where he hit; however, she noticed that he was avoiding her face._

' _Doesn't want the school to notice,' Ari realized._

 _She had already been told that she wasn't to speak about her 'lessons' to anybody at school, and she wasn't to do better than Dudley at anything. She had also been warned of the consequences. Aunt Petunia had already told her that while she had school, she was still expected to finish all of her chores. Ari had nearly fainted at the idea; she barely got them done with a whole day available let alone spending half the day at school._

 _At least she was guaranteed lunch. Her aunt and uncle had talked to the school and expressed that it was going to be very difficult to feed two children in school. They had been asking to get Dudley free lunches; however, the school had said that only she qualified. So, she was getting free lunches. Of course, she knew that Dudley was going to be taking all of the good food from her, like normal._

 _As she tuned back into her uncle, she realized that he was no longer hitting her and the words she was hearing didn't seem belong to him._

"Ari, come back to us. You're safe"

 _Who was talking to her? Who cared whether or not she was safe? The Dursleys were her only family, and she owed it to them to do as she was told and not make herself anymore of a burden than she already was._

 _The voice was still talking, and for some reason, Uncle Vernon didn't seem to be advancing on her anymore._

"You are in the Underworld with your cousins and me, Ari. You're safe."

 _Who was this voice, and why did it seem to care about her? Nobody cared about the freak. Nobody cared about the Dursleys' troublesome niece who was left to burden her normal, law abiding relatives._

"Ari, focus on my voice. You. Are. Safe. Your parents are expecting you back soon."

 _Her parents were dead; now she knew that the voice was lying to her. Nothing can bring back the dead._

"Come on, Ari. I wouldn't be surprised if they know that something is wrong right now. Especially Triton; he always seems to be the first to know this sort of thing."

 _A new voice joined the first_ , "Come on, umm, Ari. You pulled me and Bianca out of the Casino. You took us to our father. We're safe here. You're the first friend that I've made except for Bianca. Please, come back."

 _A third voice joined the other two_ , "I put my trust in you back in Las Vegas. Now, you need to trust us. Whatever you are experiencing right now, it isn't happening. You are safe."

 _The more the voices talked the easier it became to ignore her uncle standing over her wielding the cane now. It looked as though he had got his second wind; lucky her. As she focused less on her Uncle and more on the voices, the scenery began to change._ Her Uncle vanished as did the basement of number 4 Privet Drive. In its place was some sort of throne room and three people looking at her in varying degrees of concern.

 **oOo**

Hades watched as his niece's eyes came back into focus and her breathing began to regulate. She was coming back to them. It took few minutes before she fully seemed to realize where she was, and she began to come out from under the throne. Hades backed up to allow her an exit, and after she was out, she stood up looking decidedly embarrassed.

"Ummm…"

Hades shook his head, "We will discuss it later in private. Right now, we have other issues to deal with."

"What do you mean?" Ari asked cautiously still trying to fully understand what had just happened to her.

"I mean that now the quest realizes that there is more going on and more players involved than they originally thought. Hopefully, they will get the hint and solve it before World War III breaks out."

"So, you don't think that Percy stole the Master Bolt or your helm?" Bianca questioned.

Ari was confused about what they were talking about. How long had she actually been out of it?

Hades scoffed, "That boy hasn't even known about us a month yet! How could he have possibly done it?!"

Ari sighed in relief. She might not fully understand what was going on; however, she knew for certain that she didn't want Percy in trouble with another god.

"No, somebody is setting us all up for war. Unfortunately, my brother is too foolish to use his brain to see that. Stealing has never been Poseidon's style, and I rarely leave the Underworld."

"Why don't you leave?" Bianca asked quietly.

Hades turned to his daughter; his face softening just a little bit more, "You will come to understand the longer that you are with this world that I am not wanted by the other gods. I know this and therefore tend to keep to myself."

"What's going to happen now?" Ari inquired.

Hades looked at his niece with sad eyes, "Many things need to happen, but first," he turned to look at the soldiers that were still standing around, "You are dismissed, return to your posts."

As one, all of the skeleton soldiers bowed and left through the various doors, the hellhounds followed them out. Once they were all gone, Hades turned back to Ari.

"Do you remember why I was able to take Persephone as my bride?"

Ari nodded, but Nico was the one who answered, "She ate the food of the Underworld and therefore was supposed to stay here for eternity, but her mother, Demeter, got really upset. So, a deal was made that she would live here for half the year and on Olympus with her mother the other half!" Nico said this all in one breath.

Bianca just shook her head at her brother, but Hades nodded with a small look of pride, "Correct."

He turned back to Ari as though expecting her to catch on. When it didn't look like she was going to, he gave her a hint, "Think about what we have done since your arrival."

'Let's see,' Ari thought to herself. 'We arrived, we talked, we ate lunch, we greeted the qu-'

Ari's eyes widened, "We ate lunch!" she muttered in dismay.

Hades nodded, "Indeed, now, something that is not really known is that the food of the Underworld has no effect on those of the Underworld. However, for others-"

"They are stuck here for eternity," Ari finished knowing well the legends. Severus had made certain that she knew all of the main ones that she was likely to encounter, and she had done some research on her own.

"Correct. Now, I don't think either your mother or your father will be very happy with me if I kept you down here for eternity, and I personally don't feel like causing the war that we are right now trying to prevent."

Ari rolled her eyes and then looked at her feet. Her parents, and isn't that still a weird thought, were going to be furious at this.

"Though, they might find that that would be an option that would definitely ensure that you reach your 18th birthday," Ari looked up at that. "However, they have already sworn an oath that ties you to Hecate's people until your 18th birthday."

Ok, this was just getting confusing. Her parents had basically sworn that she would be with the magical world until she turned 18, but now, she was going to be stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Do two binding agreements cancel each other out? Ari asked this out loud.

Hades shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. Otherwise, that would be an answer to everything. However, like with Persephone, hopefully, the agreement can be...modified."

"Modified how?" Ari was becoming very skeptical. As far as she knew, you ate the food; you stayed for eternity. That was it.

"Well, like Persephone, you could spend a portion of each year here, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to. And, if you were to miss a year, well, let's just say it would be better for you to stay year round."

Ari grimaced not wanting to think about what would happen. Deals were not to be taken lightly and never to be broken. That holds even more true when bound by an oath.

"Another option," Ari turned her full attention back to her uncle. "would be to try and find something that would be accepted as the equivalent of you staying here for eternity."

Ari sighed, "And, what would be the equivalent of that?"

"I don't know," Hades admitted. "We would have to ask a god of oaths, or the Greek equivalent, if we can modify the oath first, and then they would have to tell us what the substitute options are."

"And, who is that?" Bianca asked curiosity getting the better of her.

"Helios was the god of oaths but-"

"We have a way that is a bit easier," Hades interrupted. "Besides, Helios and Selene like to keep to themselves for the most part."

"Why?" Nico asked. Ari and Bianca looked at him curious as well.

Hades waved his hand, "A story for another time. Now, to answer your other question, we could talk to the Lady Styx."

With that, he led them out of the throne room, and they began to make their way down to the river.

"If we are able to change the terms of the oath, why have it set the way that it is? How are we able to change it so easily?" Ari questioned her uncle as they walked down the path.

"You have to remember, Ari. Demigods are not meant to be coming into the Underworld anytime that they wish. The Underworld is meant for the dead, not the living."

"So, the forbidden food is to discourage them?" Bianca asked.

"Most people will not go somewhere that they cannot survive long tell them that they can't eat or drink and most won't even bother coming."

"So, why are we able to change the terms?"

Hades sighed, "We may not be able to. The only reason that Persephone's was changed was because Demeter was causing famine, starvation, and death. If Lady Styx does not think there is a good enough reason to prevent you from staying, you will stay."

Ari nodded. Hopefully the goddess was in a good mood. They continued to walk.

"Why did you let me eat if you knew that this would happen?" Ari accused without thought.

Hades turned on his niece, "Why did you eat when you knew the ramifications of such acts?"

Ari flinched and looked down, "I wasn't thinking."

Hades sighed, "Neither was I. We are both at fault, niece."

"Sorry for accusing you, Lord Hades," Ari whispered.

Hades looked at her with a sad frown at the tone she was using, "It is fine. We both forgot and both should have been more aware of what we were doing."

After a few more minutes, the group made it to the bank of the river.

"Everybody remember your manners," Hades cautioned as he stepped to the edge of the river. "Lady Styx, I need a word with you."

Ari watched the river closely, and it was only a few seconds before a figure began to emerge. To say that the woman was beautiful would be an understatement. Lady Styx's skin was pale as Ari was beginning to guess most of the gods and goddesses of the Underworld would be. Hair was long and black and fell around her in perfect waves. Her silver eyes shined in the darkness of the Underworld and seemed to be filled with a knowing gleam. Her dress was long, black and flowed behind her like the river she was emerging from with delicate blue designs spread out along the skirt. Yes, the Lady Styx was most beautiful.

"Why have you summoned me, Lord Hades? And, who are these young ones?"

At being mentioned, the three mortals of the group quickly bowed. Nico and Bianca had learned from Percy's bad example to show respect to a god or goddess.

Lady Styx chuckled, "You three may rise, but I do wish an answer to my question."

Hades stepped forward, "An oath has been made, and we wish to modify the terms."

"Ah," Lady Styx's eyes gleamed with understanding. "And, who is the other party to this oath?"

"I am," Ari responded stepping forward.

"And you are-"

"Ari Potter."

This time Lady Styx's eyes widened, "The daughter of Lord Poseidon and Lady Athena?"

Ari nodded silently.

Lady Styx turned back to Hades, "You do remember what happened the last time you caught one of your brothers' daughters in your oath, yes?"

Hades nodded with a grimace, "I hardly need reminding; however, I am hoping we can forgo the year of natural disasters, arguments, and deaths and skip straight to the changing of the terms. It would save many mortals their lives and me many headaches."

Lady Styx nodded, "It would save us both a headache. I did not really enjoy having to help Lady Rhea negotiate peace between you and Lady Demeter."

"Then, we can fix it?" Ari questioned hopefully.

Lady Styx nodded at Ari, "The terms can be modified, but they must equate to the terms of the original bargain," She turned towards Hades. "I am guessing that the child staying for a certain time every year is not an option."

"Correct," Hades nodded. "Due to the terms of Poseidon and Athena's oath with Hecate, we can't be certain that the same time every year will be available. She is after all, as we have discovered this summer, a candidate for quests. It can't be avoided."

"Indeed, then, we will have to come up with something else."

The goddess and god went quiet for a while. Lady Styx seemed to be trying to view or see something. After what seemed like a long time to the three children present, Lady Styx opened her eyes.

"I have a few solutions that will appease the oath; however, each has its own set of pros and cons."

The group nodded.

"The first option is of course the original oath: Ari remains here for eternity."

Hades and Ari both responded at the same time.

"Her parents won't go for that."

"I have school."

Hades turned to his niece with disbelief on his face, "I think this is more important than school right now."

Ari looked like she wanted to disagree, but Lady Styx interrupted.

"The second option is the one that you two have already thought of: Ari remains here for a certain period of the year every year."

"It's not feasible," Hades reiterated.

"I know. The third option and final option is that Ari can owe the Underworld three favors."

Hades and Ari paled at the idea. Nico looked at them in confusion.

"What's wrong? It's just three favors. It can't be that hard."

Ari shook her head, "Nico, these favors won't be as simple as babysitting or finding a little girl's lost puppy. In demigod language, a favor is a quest. I will basically owe the Underworld three quests. Any immortal non-monster that is affiliated with the Underworld can ask me to do anything, and I will have to do it."

"Why immortal non-monsters?" Nico questioned. Ari had a feeling he was going to be very inquisitive.

"Monsters can't give quests, at least they never have before. Looking through the myths and legends it has always been that quests are given by prophecy, gods, titans and primordials. The last of which is extremely rare."

"You parents are going to kill me," Hades groaned under his breath.

"You?!" Ari snapped turning back towards her uncle. "I'll be lucky if mom and dad let me off of Olympus or out of Atlantis until I'm 18!"

"You could always take the first option," Lady Styx reminded them.

Hades shook his head, "I would rather avoid a repeat of Demeter's fit, thank you. All taking that option will do is put us right back here staring at options two and three within a year."

Lady Styx nodded, "Your decision?"

Hades and Ari looked at each other and nodded before sighing; it was never going to be a perfect solution. That would have been if Ari hadn't eaten the food of the Underworld to begin with.

"Option three."

"So be it."

With that declaration, there was a burst of thunder to seal the deal, and Ari's bracelet heated up to the point of pain. As Ari tried to pull her bracelet off, Lady Styx vanished back into the river. Eventually, Ari was able to pull the bracelet from her arm and looked at it closely. This time, it wasn't the conch that was glowing, but a new charm that had appeared.

Ari looked at the charm. It was three silver skulls with a small clear jewel in the middle of each one.

"A way to keep track of your oath," Hades commented from behind her. He was looking at it with a frown on his face. "They will help you to know how many favors you have finished."

"How?"

Hades only shook his head, "You won't know until you receive your first request. Until then, try to relax."

Ari snorted, and Hades had to silently agree with her. There was no way that she was going to fully relax right now knowing that she was bound to the Underworld.

Hades gestured for the children to follow him, and he led them back up to the palace. Once inside, he led them not to the throne room but to a comfortable seating area in the library. Ari looked around in wonder and began to roam to find something to read.

"You will excuse me, Ari, if I don't send you three on to Olympus until I know for certain whether or not Perseus has succeeded."

Ari nodded absently, more intent on finding a good book to read. Hades just shook his head in amusement. In some ways, she was more like her father, but in this, she was definitely her mother's daughter.

Bianca and Nico looked at each other before turning to their dad.

"We aren't staying here?"

Hades looked at his children sadly, "Unfortunately, that is not possible. A god is not allowed to raise his mortal children. You two will have to go to camp and train. Though," He looked at Bianca quickly "girls do have a second option that might come up."

Ari looked at the twins in understanding, "Don't worry, camp is fun. Now, let's see if we even get to leave before worrying about it."

She made her way over to one of the comfortable armchairs and motioned for Nico and Bianca to do the same. Once everybody was comfortable, Hades summoned up an image just in time to see Percy and a man in armour clash swords.

"What is Percy doing fighting Hercules?"

Hades shook his head, "No idea, let's watch."

Hercules seemed to be trying to use brute strength to overpower Percy and slowly backed him into the ocean.

"Idiot, you don't force a son of the sea god _into_ the sea. You force him _away_ ," Hades shook his head at the stupidity of his immortal nephew.

"Hey, if it gives Percy a chance, let Hercules be an idiot. Maybe he'll learn. Though, if he's immortal and making this mistake, then there is very little hope."

"Is that really _the_ Hercules?" Nico asked wide eyed.

Hades looked sharply at his son, "You will only use him as an example of what _not_ to be."

"Why? I thought he was one of the best," Bianca stated from her chair.

"He may have accomplished a lot, but the only god that can stand him is his father. The rest of us were cheering for _Hera_ and even _helping_ her by giving her some ideas for quests for the idiot."

It didn't take much longer for Hercules to realize that he made an error in judgement. Percy had been forced to defend at the edge of the ocean and had been building up the water pressure behind him. Once it was high enough, he let it loose in a mighty wave. While Hercules was coughing up seaweed, Percy took his chance and got a hit in, nicking the back of Hercules' knee. Upon realizing that he had been bested by a demigod, Hercules threw a god sized temper tantrum.

"This is not possible! I am the mightiest son of the mightiest of gods!" He shouted before turning on Percy. "You will rue this day Perseus Jackson. There will come a time when your sword shall fail you and you shall be bested. I will not forget this; we will meet again!"

With that, Ari quickly turned away from the image.

"Look away!" Hades ordered.

Ari could only hope that Bianca and Nico obeyed.

"All clear."

Ari opened her eyes and looked around. Everybody seemed ok here and looking at the image it appeared as though either Annabeth or Grover had warned Percy in time.

Percy walked over to where Hercules had been before vanishing and picked something up off the ground. Before he could take any further steps one of the Furies, Alecto, descended upon him.

"So, you were telling the truth, spawn of Poseidon."

Percy just glared at Alecto before throwing the item at her.

"Return that to your boss and tell him I kept my promise."

Alecto nodded, "You have done well this day, spawn of Poseidon, but your quest isn't over yet, and you would do well to not find yourself in the Underworld any time soon."

With that, they watched her fly off and Percy, Annabeth, and Grover turn to face the policemen that were rushing towards them. With nothing left to watch, unless you counted Percy, Annabeth, and Grover lying through their teeth to the police and media, Hades cancelled the image. After only a few more minutes, Alecto appeared carrying the item that Percy had thrown at her.

"That boy needs to learn respect," she hissed as she bowed to her master.

"You have done well, Alecto. Return to your duties and do not worry about the spawn of Poseidon."

"Yes, master," Alecto bowed once more before flying off into the Underworld.

"Lord Hades?" Ari tried to get her Uncle's attention.

Hades turned towards his niece, "You may call me by my name child. I realize that you are not yet fully used to the idea of having uncles, aunts, and cousins that actually care about you, but you don't have to be so formal."

Ari nodded and blushed. While she called the gods by their names and acknowledged the relationship between them in her mind, she still had trouble dropping the titles when talking to them or about them, "What was stolen from you? You mentioned it earlier."

"My helm," he said turning to his niece.

"Your helm?!" Ari was surprised; how had she missed this?

Hades nodded.

"Why didn't you tell the council? Surely, they would-"

"They would what? Help me? Ari, surely you know by now, with all the reading and research that you have mostly likely done, that I am not wanted by Olympus."

Ari blushed even redder and looked at the ground. She knew that; it had been pointed out more than once in the legends. She and Severus had even talked about it a couple of times during their lessons.

"You're still family and should therefore still help each other," she muttered under her breath.

"True, but as you know, family does not always treat each other the way that they are supposed to."

Ari's head snapped up. Hades was looking at her with a sad expression, but it wasn't pity.

"You will eventually need to talk to somebody about what they did to you. I know that you have told Severus some things, but judging off what occurred earlier, you don't seem to have let what has happened to you sink in, which isn't really a good thing."

"I don't like talking about them," Ari said turning away from him.

"You may not like to, but you need to. You can't begin to heal until you come to accept and understand what happened. Even if it just finding somebody to confide in; it would help you to heal."

Ari nodded reluctantly.

"Now, we have about five hours before you brother, sister, and the satyr arrive in New York."

"Annabeth and Percy are your siblings?" Nico asked.

Ari nodded, "Half-siblings. I have others that live at camp."

"Really!?"

Ari smiled, "Yep, you'll get to meet them once we get to camp."

"First, you will have to go to Olympus," Hades reminded the children.

The three turned and nodded at him before going back to talking about camp. Ari was explaining capture the flag when a Fury, not Alecto, came into the room and bowed to Hades.

"Lord Hades, everything is set up at the Field of Punishments."

Hades stood, "Thank you, Tisiphone. Go wait for us with your sisters."

Tisiphone nodded before flying off to do as bid.

"Is something wrong?" Ari questioned standing up.

"No, but if you will follow me, Ari, there is something I need to show you."

"What about us?" Bianca asked from her chair. She had put down the book that she was reading when the Fury had arrived.

Hades shook his head, "No, this is something that Ari needs to do, and I have a feeling that she would not like an audience."

Ari had no idea what was going on, but if Hades said that she would not want an audience, then she probably wouldn't. He hadn't lied to her yet.

"I'll be fine guys."

Hades nodded at her, "Come on. It won't take long."

The two of them left the room and made their way outside of the palace. The walk didn't take long, and the closer to the Field of Punishments they got, the louder the screams of pain became. Ari had to stop herself from flinching multiple times. Hades led her around the various punishments that dotted the field and over to the back corner. Once there, she froze.

Standing before her were the angry looking spirits of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. She looked up at Hades pale, wide-eyed and shaking.

"Wh-what is g-going on?" She stammered.

She had thought that she was never going to have to face them again. Though, now she knew why there had been no response at number 4; they didn't live there anymore. Heck, they weren't even alive anymore.

Hades knelt down so that he was eye level with the scared girl before him.

"You need closure child. As I said before, you haven't fully accepted what they did to you. Part of you either does not understand it or believes that you actually deserved it. It may even be a bit of both."

Ari looked away at that last part, and Hades had his answer. The child believed that they had been right to treat her like that. He had to physically stop himself from destroying the spirits that were daring to glare at his niece.

"Until you come to terms, fully, you cannot heal, and there will remain a chance of you having more flashbacks," he forced Ari to turn back to him. "You have no idea how scared Nico and Bianca were to see you like that. How scared...I was."

Ari was shocked to hear this from her uncle. He didn't seem the sort of person to want to talk about emotions that much let alone admit to being scared of something.

"I don't want to have to see you like that again."

Ari sighed, "I don't like thinking about it."

"I know, but you have to. The path to recovery starts with acceptance."

With that said, he began to lead Ari a little bit closer to the Dursleys. He motioned for his three Furies to take up their positions. Nothing was going to happen to Ari. He just wanted her to understand that they couldn't hurt her anymore and have a bit of closure.

"YOU FREAK!" Vernon yelled once they came to a stop. "YOU LED THOSE _THINGS_ TO US AND HAD THEM DO _THIS_ TO US!"

"I didn't do anything," Ari whispered as she flinched backwards into her immortal uncle. "I didn't even know you were here until now."

"LIES!" Petunia screeched from next to Vernon.

Ari rubbed her ears and saw that the Furies had winced slightly at the frequency as well. Alecto slapped Petunia in the back of the head.

"Lower the volume," she growled.

"They introduced themselves as your parents, brother and two uncles," Petunia continued at a much more reasonable volume though her voice still grated on the nerves.

"That doesn't mean that I knew that they paid you a visit," Ari pointed out.

"Don't try to be smart with us," Vernon snarled. "You were lucky that we decided to take you in out of the goodness of our hearts. We gave you the food off our table, the clothes on your back, and Dudley's second bedroom."

Ari finally snapped, "You gave me table scraps when I became so weak that I couldn't perform the mile long list of chores that you assigned me everyday. You gave me clothes that didn't fit me; they weren't even new. You only gave me Dudley's second bedroom because you were afraid of what the wizards would do when they found out that you were mistreating me!"

"If you hadn't been our niece, it would have been straight to the orphanage; however, we decided to try and raise you to be a model citizen."

"I WOULD HAVE PREFERED THE ORPHANAGE!" Ari yelled. Hades placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down a little bit. She took a deep breath before continuing at a much more reasonable volume level. "You only took me in because you didn't want the neighbors to talk, and you knew that the wizards would come after you if they found out that I was missing. You starved, beat, berated, and neglected me because of something that I have no control over!"

Petunia stepped forward again with a scowl on her face, "What do you want? It's not like you are going to be living with us anymore. So, why are you here?"

Ari hesitated for a moment. She knew why Hades had brought her here, but how could she come to accept what they had done to her? In some ways she still felt like they had been within their rights to treat her the way that they did even if she didn't understand why.

"Why?" she whispered without thought.

"Why what?" Petunia questioned.

"Why couldn't you love me? Why couldn't you accept me? And, even if you couldn't accept me, why beat me? I had no control over the fact that I had magic. I didn't pick my parents. I didn't ask for the Potters to be killed. Why?" Ari was close to crying, but it wouldn't do her any good if she lost control now.

Vernon opened his mouth, his face turning its traditional shade of purple and his fists raising threateningly.

"Who could possibly-"

"Vernon, enough!" Petunia cut across her husband. Honestly, did he want to increase the cruelty of their punishments?

Petunia looked at the girl before her and thought about her answer. She knew what her husband's answer would be, that is why she had stopped him, but her's...there was no harm in being honest now; she was dead.

"Your mother was my best friend before she went off to that _freak_ school. Those freaks took my best friend from me. After she left for her last year, she never returned. We never talked. I didn't attend her marriage, and she wasn't invited to mine. After almost three years of no talking, to find you dropped on our doorstep with just a note; it was too much. As you grew up, you reminded me too much of her when she was your age. You reminded me of what I lost the day that letter came."

"You hated me because you were jealous of my mom," it wasn't a question. Ari could see what her aunt wasn't telling her. Her mom had gone off to a magical world where Petunia couldn't follow, and Petunia had felt abandoned.

Petunia didn't answer. Ari didn't need to ask Vernon why; he had made his opinion plenty clear when he was beating her. Hades seemed to sense that all parties had said everything that was going to be said and motioned for the three Furies to take the two spirits back to their punishments.

Once the two Dursleys were gone, he ushered Ari away from the Field of Punishments; however, they weren't going straight back to the palace. There were two more spirits that Ari needed to meet to have full closure. The walk to their second location didn't take more than a few minutes because their second destination was just the next field over. Hades led Ari up to and through the gold gates.

"Welcome, Ari, to Elysium."

Ari looked around in amazement. The spirits here were a lot happier than those that were in the Field of Punishment, but that was to be expected. These spirits weren't being punished for all of eternity.

Spirits ran here and there, waving to each other and shopping at the local markets. Many were on their way to or from work. It was as if they had never died except for the fact that there were people from all walks of life and many millenniums past.

The architecture reflected the people that resided in the house. Those from ancient Greece lived in houses similar to what they would have lived in when living; the same was true for everybody else. Overall, it was paradise, and Ari could see why it was every demigod's dream to end up here.

Hades gave Ari a subtle nudge to get her moving again and led her through Elysium. Ari kept looking everywhere trying to see as much as she could. She knew that if her parents had their way, she would never wind up here; however, it was nice to see where, she hoped, her friends would spend eternity.

The walk only took five minutes before they were arriving at the doorstep of their destination. The house was an English cottage. It was two stories and looked very homey. There was a garden in the front full of petunias, roses, lilies and other flowers. Overall, it was what Ari had always dreamed of when she dreamed of her parents, her adopted parents.

Hades knocked on the door, and it wasn't long before it was being answered. The woman who answered the door had long red hair and bright green eyes.

"Lord Hades, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

The woman couldn't see Ari because she was slightly behind Hades; however, Hades took a step to the side, revealing her, and the woman's eyes widened and teared up.

"Is that-?"

Hades nodded, "May we come in for a few minutes?"

"Of course," the woman stood aside to allow the two entrance.

She led the two to a sitting room but not before shouting up the stairs.

"James get your butt down here!"

Ari's eyes widened as she realized exactly who they were visiting. She looked at her uncle, and he gave her a nod.

"Please, take a seat," the woman said gesturing to the couch.

Ari sat next to her uncle and began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt until Hades reached over to stop her hands.

"Relax Ari," he whispered to her.

About that moment, a man with messy jet black hair and hazel eyes came into the room. He walked over to the couch that the woman was on and gave her a quick kiss before turning to the two guests. His eyes widened in shock upon spotting the girl.

"Ari?"

Ari could do nothing but nod. James ran over and pulled her into a hug, and it wasn't long before Lily joined in. At that moment, Ari let all of her tears that she had been holding back from talking with the Dursleys loose, and nobody could calm down the distraught child. After a few minutes, it became clear that Ari was not calming down. So, the two spirits just held their adopted daughter until she fell asleep. When she did, they looked up at the god for an explanation.

"She just finished talking to the Dursleys, and then, we came straight here."

The two's faces showed immediate understanding. The child had just been through a lot. They of course knew about the torment that their daughter's childhood had been. They had been informed about who her real parents were as soon as it became known. Lord Hades was very good about keeping the spirits in Elysium up to date about what was going on in the world of the living.

"What is going to happen when she wakes up?" Lily asked after a few minutes.

"I brought her here to talk to you. However, she needs to be heading towards Olympus soon if they wish to beat the quest."

It was about twenty minutes later that Ari began to wake up. She had been laid out on the couch by her adopted parents. She was a little confused about where she was until she looked around and saw who she was with. Then, she just looked at her feet in embarrassment.

"There is no reason to be embarrassed, Ari. You have been through a lot today, and it was bound to catch up to you," Lily soothed as she sat next to the daughter that she never really got to know. "None of us expect you to be perfect."

"However, we do expect you to go to somebody when you need help, and don't lock everything up," James added in.

"It's hard. Nobody ever wanted to talk about it with me before, and if I did and the Dursleys found out, I would be in huge trouble."

"We know it's hard, and we know it hurts. However, so will having the memories haunt you for the rest of your life."

Ari sat there thinking for a minute. She didn't fully understand _why_ everybody suddenly cared about what happened in her childhood. She didn't understand _why_ she had to suddenly talk about what happened. However, she did know that she didn't want to have a repeat of what happened earlier in the throne room; she still didn't fully understand what had happened.

"I'll talk to somebody," she whispered.

Lily and James smiled at the girl that they had taken in.

"That's my brave little girl," Lily said as she hugging her. Ari flinched. "Just know that we are proud of you."

"And, we better not see you here anytime soon," James added firmly with a serious expression on his face.

"Or ever," Hades muttered. He had no intention of seeing his niece join the dead if he could help it.

With Ari agreeing to find somebody that she could trust to talk to, the four talked for a while longer before Hades said that they needed to return to the palace so that the children could get to Olympus on time.

On their way back, Ari realized that she felt better than she had before. While she now knew that she was going to _have_ to talk to someone about her childhood, she also now knew _why_ the Dursleys had been the way they were. Once they arrived back in the library, Hades motioned for his children to join them.

"We have given the quest almost four and a half hours. Therefore, I am going to send you to Olympus so that you can get settled before the quest arrives," Hades explained before turning to his children specifically. "Stay with Ari and mind your manners. Nobody there will hurt her, but I unfortunately cannot promise the same for you two."

The two now looked a bit nervous about going to meet people that would potentially want to hurt them.

"Then, why are we going?" Bianca questioned not looking happy at all.

"Because, I cannot keep you without breaking the laws. Nothing stops a demigod from visiting the Underworld-"

"Except common sense," Ari interjected.

"Which means," Hades continued while giving Ari a look "you two can still visit."

"You two are actually lucky," Ari added.

When the two children of the Underworld look at her she continued, "The laws prevent the gods from raising and visiting us; however, nothing stops the demigods from going to the gods. Unfortunately, most of the gods are on Olympus, and it is barred except for quests and solstices. Atlantis isn't exactly easy to get to either. You two know how to get to the Underworld and can easily visit if you want."

This brought a smile to Bianca and Nico's faces as they realized the loopholes that Ari had just pointed out. They could and would visit their father.

All three turned back to Hades, and he motioned them forward. Once they were closer, he explained what was going to happen.

"Now, I am going to escort you to the lobby. From there, you three will have to go up to Olympus on your own. To get there, all three of you need to grab one of my arm, close your eyes, and don't let go."

The three all nodded and did as they were instructed.

"I emphasis. Do. Not. Open. Your. Eyes."

Upon seeing all three nod with their eyes shut, he let the four of them slip into the shadows. The trip was short and within seconds, they were in an alley near the Empire State building.

"You can open your eyes now."

The three children blinked back the spots that came with the sudden change in lighting. Once cleared; however, Bianca and Nico were surprised to find themselves on the completely opposite side of the country.

"This is totally awesome!" Nico shouted jumping around.

"That was shadow traveling. Now, come on, you three need to get to Olympus."

With that, Hades led the three out of the alley and into the Empire State building. Ari watched as he approached the man that Artemis had nodded to when she had been brought here the first time.

"The two demigods and Lady Ari need the key card for the elevator."

The man took a closer look at them and seemed to recognize Ari. He bowed to her before handing the card to Lord Hades.

"Make sure that nobody else is in the elevator."

"Of course."

With that, he motioned for the three to follow him and motioned for them to enter the elevator; he handed Ari the key as she went forward.

"You know what to do," Ari nodded and entered the elevator.

Before the doors could close though, Hades made one final request, "Please, don't let anything happen to them."

Ari nodded, and then the doors were closed. Ari swiped the card and then pressed the hidden button that appeared like she had seen Artemis do. As the elevator rose, she noticed absent mindedly that the music still needed to be improved.

When the doors opened, Ari and Bianca both had to grab Nico to keep him moving.

"There will be plenty of time to sight see later. I promise," Ari stated as she led/dragged them past the pavilions and temples.

She had only been gone about ten days, but she had honestly missed this place. She couldn't wait to see her parents again. They were approaching the doors to Zeus' palace when she remembered that she had to be dressed appropriately. However, she just went ahead and knocked on the door. There really wasn't time to be running back and forth across the palace just to change clothes. Hopefully the council would understand.

Not long after, the doors opened, and the three walked in. Ari noticed that Nico and Bianca were walking closer to her than they had been before, and they were looking around in wonder and amazement. The entire council was in attendance along with Triton, Persephone, and Hestia. Hestia was tending to her hearth, Persephone was sitting on a guest throne beside her mother, and Triton was sitting on a guest throne next to Poseidon.

"Bow to Lord Zeus," Ari whispered under her breath. The two gave small nods to show that they had heard.

Once they were in the middle of the semicircle of thrones, all three bowed to the King of the Gods.

Zeus looked at his niece with a small smile. The entire council was just glad that she was back.

"Rise children. Ari, respect your parents."

The three rose, and Ari moved to stand before her father. However, he waved her off, and then her mother repeated the action.

"There is little time for formalities, Ari. But, welcome back," Athena gave as an explanation while smiling at her daughter.

"Indeed, welcome back," Zeus agreed. "Now, tell us your tale. We have little time before the quest arrives."

Ari nodded and began her tale. She explained what she did on the bus ride, nothing, and how she arrived safely in Vegas. The gods were really interested in how she managed to get out of the Lotus-eaters' lair. When she mentioned the conch charm, Zeus seemed to get a bit upset; he turned on Triton.

"You broke the law-"

"No I didn't," Triton defended from his guest throne beside his father. He had known that he would have to explain his actions. "I am well within my rights to give Ari a gift, and she accepted it. I am also within my rights to have full control over my _symbol of power_. The two just happened to be the same in this case."

"You almost sound as though you are upset that the children made it out of the casino, brother," Poseidon pointed out. The look on his face dared Zeus to say that his son was in the wrong.

Zeus just waved Ari on to continue her story. She quickly talked about the limo ride through the desert, the group splitting up, their arrival in the Underworld, and that they just waited until it was clear that it was safe to return. Ari didn't mention the oath she was now under, meeting the Dursleys or the Potters, or the flashback that she had experienced. She was still trying to decide who to talk to about all of this

As she was finishing her story, the quest arrived running into the room. Ari bowed and stepped back to make room for the three newcomers. Grover and Annabeth immediately dropped into a bow before Lord Zeus. Percy, however, bowed before Poseidon. Ari just hoped that Zeus wouldn't blast him for it.

"Shouldn't you bow to the master of the house first, boy?" Zeus questioned glaring at the son of Poseidon.

Nobody dared to move.

"Easy, brother. The boy is showing respect to his father; there is nothing wrong with that," Poseidon states calmly before looking at Percy with an expression that Ari cannot read. "Percy, go respect Lord Zeus and tell us your tale."

Percy rose and walked over to his friends before bowing to Zeus.

Zeus nodded, "Rise children, tell us your tale."

The three went into their tale talking about the Furies, Medusa, a pink poodle, the Chimera, the giant spider, the ride to Vegas, the lair of the Lotus-eaters, the limo ride to LA, and the messenger from Poseidon. The last one caused Zeus to give Poseidon a glare, but he could do no more because Poseidon hadn't technically broken the rules. They continued on with meeting Crusty, entering the Underworld, the runaway shoes, and meeting Hades.

"Who gave you the shoes?" Hermes asked. He knew that he gave them to any of his children who reached 18 and only three were that age right now.

"Luke," Percy answered.

Hermes paled, "I'm sure he didn't know."

Ari wasn't so sure but kept her mouth shut for now.

"What I want to know is why Hades didn't tell us that he had been stolen from as well?" Hestia pointed out.

The god's siblings seemed worried about that as well. Ari stepped forward, and Zeus motioned for her to speak.

"I actually asked him the very same question. His response to me was, in short, he isn't wanted, so why should he think that you would help him?"

Many bowed their heads at that. It wasn't right.

Hestia turned to her little brother, "We will be discussing this later, Zeus."

Zeus could do nothing except nod; nobody argued with Hestia.

"Continue your story, child."

Percy talked about leaving his mother, fighting Hercules, and then returning to Olympus.

"We are all certain that Hercules is the one that stole the bolt?" Zeus questioned the council.

"Actually, I don't think he did," Percy interjected earning glares from the majority of the council.

Ari stepped forward again, "I actually have to agree with Percy on this." She gave Percy a look that told him he needed to think before speaking. "From what I saw, Hercules doesn't have the mental ability to pull off something like this on his own. Plus, the ancient laws prohibit gods from taking each other's symbols of power. And, unfortunately, Hercules _is_ a god."

At the last part of the statement, the glares moved from Percy to Zeus. It was his fault that they had to deal with the spoiled brat for all eternity. None of them had wanted to grant him immortality.

"Then, the culprit is still at large," Demeter pointed out.

"He will be found and brought to justice," Zeus declared with certainty. He then rose to his feet. "Now, with all of that stated, I declare this council-"

"Not quite, brother," Poseidon interrupted rising as well. "I wish to hear about the dreams that both Ari and Percy have been having. Then, I would like to hear in detail what occured with the shoes."

He gave a look to Percy and Ari, "I know that both of you have left out details."

Ari merely bowed her head. She knew that they had been watching.

Zeus glared at Poseidon, "We agreed that-"

"We would wait until they returned to hear their dreams, and then, we would make our decisions. They are here now as is the entire council. What better time?"

Zeus couldn't find an argument against that and sat back down with a pout firmly on his face.

"In order of when the events happened, I think," Athena stated motioning for Ari to start.

Ari started from her being pulled into Percy's dream and then Triton pulling her away. She then talked in detail about what had occurred after she had been pulled away from Triton.

"-and the next thing I know, I am waking up in the Big House," Ari concluded.

Many of the gods had paled near the end of the tale. Ari had been brought very close to the pit. Triton was upset that he hadn't been able to prevent her from being pulled away.

"You got very lucky, Ari," Hera told her niece solemnly. "If Hades hadn't come when he did-"

She trailed off at the end, not even wanting to think about the possibilities.

"Percy your dream," Poseidon instructed after a few moments.

Percy's dream was shorter because he was still having trouble remembering all of the details. However, it went much along the same lines as Ari's.

Not giving anybody time to discuss or argue, Athena looked at Annabeth, "The shoe incident, Annabeth."

Annabeth explained in greater detail the incident with the shoes, and by now, there was no denying that the council was nervous.

"It can't be. It just can't be," Zeus was muttering repeatedly under his breath.

"It is, and you know it brother," Hestia admonished walking forward to stand before her youngest brother. "You cannot deny what the facts all point to, and it would be foolish to attempt to do so."

"He has stirred before. Perhaps he is just-"

"No!" Athena shouted. Ari motioned for Nico and Bianca to back up with her as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover joined them.

"Father, you cannot deny what is right in front of us. He is rising, and we need to be prepared."

"We have no idea if he will fully rise this time."

"Why chance it?" Artemis pointed out. "We prepare; if he rises, we are ready. If he doesn't, well, better safe than sorry."

Many nodded at her point.

"We barely survived last time," Demeter added in. "Since then many things have changed. We need to make sure that Olympus and the camp are secured."

Zeus looked like he was about ready to argue with them all until Hera put a hand on his arm.

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared. We all hope that it is another false alarm. However, I believe that we all knew the day would come when we would have to face Father again."

Zeus sighed, but he couldn't deny the truth, "Fine. Ares, Athena, Hephaestus: double check the security measures. Dionysus: make sure that Chiron is aware of the situation and make sure the children take their training seriously. Artemis, Hermes, Apollo: keep an eye out for anything suspicious while out on your duties. Artemis: tell your hunters the minimum. Poseidon: make sure Atlantis is up to par and security is tight. Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Aphrodite: help where you can and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We are _not_ at war, but it will put fears to rest if we look like we are doing something."

The council nodded. They couldn't go into full war mode if there was no war. So, for right now, the best that they could do was be on standby and watch for anything out of the ordinary.

Zeus turned to the demigods and Ari, "Keep an eye out for anymore dreams about the pit. We will inform Chiron to let the councilors know to report any especially ominous dreams."

Here he paused before zeroing in on the children of the Underworld.

"We still need to decide what to do with the children of Hades."

"You will not kill them brother," Hestia immediately stated. The entire council noticed how Ari had positioned herself slightly in front of the two.

"No, but they can't just be wandering around everywhere."

Artemis stood up, "Well, I cannot speak for the boy, but I have a solution for the girl," She turned to Bianca with a soft smile. "Come here, child."

Bianca looked at Ari who nodded, and slowly made her way forward. Once there, she bowed before the goddess; better safe than sorry.

"You may rise, child. I have a question to ask you. Has Ari explained to you about camp?"

Bianca nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"Well, camp is one option; however, girls have a second option if they are a maid and wish to accept it. They can join my Hunt."

Bianca and Ari's eyes both widened. Ari hadn't thought about that option. As she thought about it, she thought that Bianca would be very happy in the Hunt. However, Nico might not understand completely. What to do?

"Do you wish to join my Hunt?"

"What would I have to do, Lady Artemis?"

Artemis turned to Ari with a questioning look; Ari blushed.

"I didn't get the chance to explain this option to her. To be honest, it kind of escaped my mind with everything going on."

Artemis nodded and turned back to Bianca, "You would swear an oath of maidenhood. You would swear off all boys and to stand with your sisters for eternity. In return, you get a family of sisters, and pseudo-immortality so that you can only be killed in battle."

Bianca looked at Ari. While she didn't originally trust the girl, she had come to see her in the past few days as a friend. And right now, her friend knew more about this than she did.

"The choice is your's Bianca. But remember to think about _everything_ that you will be giving up. You won't be able to see Nico everyday; in fact, you will probably outlive him."

Bianca thought about it for a few minutes before nodding.

Bianca turned back to Artemis, "I accept the offer to join the Hunters of Artemis, my lady."

Artemis smiled, "Repeat after me, child. I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

"I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

"I accept the oath."

Once the last word was spoken, a silver aura filled the room. All turned to look at Bianca as the light disappeared. She didn't look different.

Ari looked at Nico and noticed that he had a look of utter betrayal on his face. Looking over at Annabeth and Percy, she noticed that Annabeth had forced Percy to not intervene. They seemed to be having a major, albeit quiet, argument.

"Now, the boy?"

"I have an idea," Ari spoke up. It wasn't right to leave Nico alone.

Zeus motioned for her to continue.

"Children of Hades would have to stay in the Hermes cabin because they have no cabin of their own," She caught some frowns at this reminder, and she quickly hurried on. "What if Nico came to Hogwarts with me? He would be kept out of trouble, could be trained by Severus, and everybody would know where he is."

Many of the gods seemed to like the idea.

"The idea has merit, Ari. However, we would need to get permission from the Headmaster, Hecate and Severus before going through with it," Athena pointed out to her daughter. "Also, what if Nico doesn't want to go?"

All turned to Nico who stepped up next to Ari, "I wouldn't mind going with Ari."

His response was muttered so it was hard to hear, but the point was made. Bianca looked at her brother sadly; she hoped that he would move on.

"We will talk to Hecate and get her response," Hera stated firmly. "Ari, you will need to send a letter to Severus and your Headmaster and get their answer. Have them IM us with any questions."

"Yes, ma'am."

"For now, he returns to camp. With that, I declare this council meeting over," Zeus proclaimed before sending a bolt into the air.

The demigods, Ari and Grover gathered around to decide what to do next.

"Percy, Grover and I should return to camp. The quest is over," Annabeth pointed out.

"Nico has to go with you. Zeus' orders," Ari added before turning to Nico. "Go with them. They will help you get situated.

"What about you?" Nico questioned.

Ari motioned over to the thrones where the gods were looking at them, "I have to stay for at least the night. However, I will try and visit. I have to talk to them about some stuff too."

Nico nodded but didn't look very happy about the idea. In the end though, he followed the quest out of the throne room and back to camp. After they were gone, Bianca walked over to Ari.

"I don't want him to be alone; however, I need a chance to be myself. I have been watching out for him since we were placed in the casino. I just want to be-"

"You want to be independent and not burdened with the responsibility of looking out for your twin," Ari concluded. Bianca nodded. "I understand, Bianca, believe me I do. Given time, Nico will understand too. It was a sudden and drastic change for him."

"Promise me something, Ari," Bianca requested in a serious tone.

"Anything."

"Watch out for him and make sure he isn't alone. He and I have always been together, and I just don't want to see him depressed because we had to take separate paths to become our own people. Children of Hades don't seem to be accepted easily; I don't want him to face the hostility alone."

Ari looked Bianca in the eye, "I promise; he won't be alone if I have anything to say about it. I will help him get through this. Hopefully, eventually, he will be accepted by those that matter and be able to ignore those that don't."

Bianca nodded, and as she did so, Ari's bracelet heated up. Ari hissed at the pain, and Bianca looked on in concern.

"Ari, are you ok?"

This question brought the Olympians over very quickly. Ari had grabbed her wrist when the pain became unbearable. Apollo gently removed her hand from her wrist to reveal the charm bracelet. Ari was starting to think that the thing was more trouble than it was worth.

Apollo tried to remove the bracelet but found that it couldn't be removed. Ari couldn't remove it either. Eventually, they gave up trying to remove it, as the pain Apollo was examining Ari's wrist under the bracelet, Ari was looking at the charms, one charm in particular. On the skull charm, the jewel of the left skull had turned red.


	23. Chapter 22

**I own nothing.**

 **Chapter 22**

It only took a few minutes for Apollo to finish examining and treating Ari's wrist. Unfortunately, it looked like it was going to take a while for the burns to heal even with the god of healing's help. Based on the scrunching of his face and the look of utter frustration, Apollo was taking it as a personal offense that he couldn't heal Ari completely. Once Apollo had done what he could, the council, Ari, Persephone, Hestia, and Triton moved to a more comfortable sitting room just off of the throne room. The gods shrunk down to human size, and everybody took their seats. Ari wound up on a couch between Triton and Hestia.

Ari wasn't able to stop herself from fidgeting until Hestia grabbed her wrist and started to gently sooth the burn that was wrapped up under her bracelet.

"Don't worry, Ari. We just want to figure who or what did this so that it doesn't happen again."

Ari sighed she really didn't want to have this conversation. In fact, she had been hoping to put it off for as long as possible. She knew for a fact that her parents were not going to be happy. For a short second she thought about making a run for it; however, one look at Triton told her that she would not succeed.

With a sigh of defeat she sunk deeper into her seat, "What do you want to know?"

"What really happened in the Underworld?" Athena quickly questioned.

"Too much," Ari muttered under her breath. Of course, the god and goddess on either side of her caught it.

"Take your time, child. There is no rush," Hestia reassured.

Ari took a deep breath and began to talk about what had fully happened in the Underworld. This time, she didn't leave anything out.


End file.
